House passes spending bill, US government escapes shutdown threat

The US House of Representatives on December 20 passed a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, just hours before the deadline for the US government to shut down.

According to Reuters, the US House of Representatives voted 366-34 to pass the bill, a day after rejecting US President-elect Donald Trump's debt ceiling request. The 34 votes against came from US Republicans. Although passed by the US House of Representatives, the bill still needs to be considered again by the US Senate.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to reporters at the Capitol on December 19, 2024

The bill would extend the US government's budget until March 14, including $100 billion in aid for disaster-hit states and $10 billion for agriculture . However, the bill does not include raising the debt ceiling, a task that US President-elect Trump has asked Republicans to address.

The bill also includes a provision to postpone the debt ceiling until January 2027, meaning trillions of dollars will continue to be added to the current $36 trillion federal debt.

White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre praised the House Republicans' move to fund and avoid a government shutdown. "President Joe Biden supports advancing this legislation and ensuring that the essential services the government provides to hardworking Americans," Pierre said in a statement, according to CNN.

Why do Republican congressmen oppose the budget bill even though Mr. Trump supports it?

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in “constant contact” with President-elect Trump during negotiations on a new stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown. Johnson also noted that he has spoken to billionaire Elon Musk, a prominent figure in the budget battle, about the challenges of the job.

If Congress fails to act by the deadline, government agencies will grind to a halt, and millions of federal employees will go without pay. The White House has warned government agencies to prepare for an imminent shutdown, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. The last federal government shutdown was 35 days into Mr. Trump's first term over border security disputes.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ha-vien-thong-qua-du-luat-chi-tieu-chinh-phu-my-thoat-nguy-co-dong-cua-185241221074852394.htm