CNN and MSNBC have introduced countdown clocks as the U.S. government heads for a shutdown at midnight tonight, as congressional Republicans try to come up with a funding plan that will pass muster with its members following Elon Musk and Donald Trump‘s moves to scuttle a previous bipartisan agreement.
House Republicans were meeting behind closed doors this afternoon to chart a path forward, after one plan — to accompany government and disaster relief funding with a raising of the debut limit — was resoundingly defeated on Thursday. There were reports that the GOP leaders in the House now plan to take separate votes on various funding proposals.
But any legislation still would have to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, while Democratic leaders on both sides of the aisle are fuming. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had reached a bipartisan agreement with other leaders on legislation to fund the government through the spring along with a host of other end-of-the-year proposals, but backed off after Elon Musk relentlessly trashed the plan on his social media platform X. Trump later came out against it too and demanded that any end-of-the-year funding bill include one that would raise the debt limit — or do away with it entirely.
Trump posted earlier today, “If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under “TRUMP.” This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!”
Asked why President Joe Biden has said relatively little about the standoff, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters this afternoon, “We have to be really clear here. This is a mess that Speaker Johnson created. It is his mess to fix.”
If the government shuts down, the impact probably would not be fully felt until next week. In past shutdowns all but essential workers, such as law enforcement and TSA agents, have remained on the job, although they go without pay. National parks and most federal offices have closed, while work is halted at federal agencies. The past shutdown also halted the review of M&A activity. Skydance’s proposed merger with Paramount Global is currently pending before federal regulators.
The last shutdown started on Dec. 22, 2018 and lasted until Jan. 25, 2019, a 35-day closure that was the longest in history.
