The bipartisan federal spending plan championed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been abandoned following criticism from House Republicans, President-elect Donald Trump, and Tesla and X owner Elon Musk. According to The Washington Post, mounting opposition to the 1,547-page spending package culminated in a long statement from Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, which was posted on Vance’s X account late Wednesday afternoon.
The backlash forced Speaker Johnson to reconsider the deal, which was intended to avert a government shutdown ahead of the Christmas holiday. “Your elected representatives have heard you and now the terrible bill is dead,” Musk wrote on X after spending the day attacking the legislation. “The voice of the people has triumphed!”
Criticism of the spending plan built steadily throughout the day, with Trump, Vance, and several House Republicans expressing dissatisfaction with the package on X.
The rejection of the spending plan leaves Congress scrambling for an alternative to prevent a shutdown, with lawmakers now facing renewed pressure to negotiate a new deal before the deadline. The setback emphasizes the challenge Speaker Johnson faces in balancing bipartisan compromise with the demands of his party’s conservative wing.
With the current plan off the table, Johnson and House leaders must now go back to the drawing board to craft a proposal that satisfies both conservative demands and the need to keep the government funded. The coming days will be critical as Congress seeks to avoid a disruptive shutdown during the holiday season.
