Stopgap Bill Collapses Under Republican Backlash

Less than 24 hours after a bloated stopgap bill was introduced to avert a government shutdown, it appears to have collapsed under the weight of its own excesses and widespread Republican resistance. The Continuing Resolution (CR), which proposed funding the federal government through March 2025, packed in over $100 billion in disaster aid and numerous unrelated provisions, sparking outrage among lawmakers and conservative leaders alike.

The House announced Wednesday evening that no votes were expected for the rest of the day. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) confirmed via X that the bill would not make it to the House floor as negotiators scrambled to rework its contents.

Key provisions in the CR included:

• $100 billion in disaster aid

• Health care reforms

• Stimulus for farmers

• $8 billion for Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction

• A pay raise for members of Congress

This 1,547-page legislative behemoth left little room for bipartisan support, with many Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance (R-OH), firmly opposing it. Trump released a joint statement with his running mate, slamming the CR for its “DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS” and demanding that any temporary funding measure include a debt ceiling increase.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) acknowledged the challenges of passing legislation in a divided Congress during a Fox News interview, citing a “razor-thin” Republican majority in the House and a Democrat-led Senate. While urging unity among Republicans, Johnson defended the strategy of delaying larger spending decisions until next year, framing it as an opportunity for a resurgent “America First” agenda under Trump’s leadership.

However, his defense failed to sway many lawmakers. Conservatives criticized the bill for its unnecessary length and spending, with some echoing the sentiments of Elon Musk, who called it “a terrible bill” and celebrated its apparent demise with the words, “The voice of the people has triumphed!”

With the federal government set to run out of funds by midnight Friday, lawmakers face a shrinking window to agree on a viable funding plan. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) accused Republicans of orchestrating a shutdown to harm working-class Americans, claiming, “You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow.”

Recent years have seen Congress repeatedly resort to stopgap measures to fund the government, a trend many blame on dysfunctional leadership. This latest CR underscores the urgent need for reforms to prevent routine funding battles.

As negotiations continue, the message from Trump and his allies is clear: any spending bill must align with conservative priorities, cut unnecessary spending, and pave the way for fiscal responsibility under a Republican-controlled government. The death of this CR sends a strong signal that bloated, Democrat-led proposals won’t find a home in the next Congress.

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