US President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t taken office yet, but he’s already throwing punches, tackling the Biden administration over the massive government funding deal. What are they sparring over?
On Tuesday, congressional leaders introduced a short-term funding bill aimed at keeping the federal government operational until March 14. This stopgap measure was announced just days before a looming December 20 deadline to avert a government shutdown.
What Led to Collapse of Government Funding Plan?
Republicans are opposed to the increased spending proposed in the 1,547-page bill, which includes allocations of $100.4 billion for disaster relief, $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, and various other provisions.
Trump has placed the debt ceiling at the forefront of discussions aimed at keeping the government operational.
He is urging lawmakers to incorporate an increase in the debt ceiling into the budget package, which would enable the Treasury Department to issue new debt to meet existing obligations. Republicans have been encouraged to approve a ‘clean’ stopgap funding bill paired with a hike to the debt ceiling before Trump takes office on January 20.
Elon Musk, picked to head the newly-established "Department of Government Efficiency" or DOGE, warned on X that “any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in two years!”
The outgoing Biden administration responded by blasting Trump and the Republicans for “playing politics with this bipartisan agreement.” This would “hurt hardworking Americans and create instability across the country” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Trump and Vance remain adamant, quipping that raising the debt ceiling “is not great, but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch.”