The United States House of Representatives has rejected a spending bill backed by President-elect Donald Trump, raising the likelihood of a partial government shutdown as millions of Americans prepare to travel during the holiday season.
The bill was voted down 174 to 235 on Thursday evening following opposition from nearly all Democrats and 38 hard-right Republicans, who took the unusual step of defying the president-elect’s proposal on the grounds that it would add trillions of dollars to the $36 trillion national debt.
The Republican-led bill was a last-ditch effort to avert a government shutdown after an earlier spending package was scuttled by 11th-hour opposition from Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and tech mogul Elon Musk.
The original spending bill, negotiated by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, had bipartisan support until Trump demanded that lawmakers lift the debt ceiling or scrap it entirely before he takes office on January 20.
With weeks to go until his inauguration, Trump is believed to be eager to avoid a fight over the debt limit that could bog down his agenda for sweeping tax cuts and border security measures, which would require trillions of dollars in borrowed funds.
The Trump-endorsed bill would have extended government funding for three months, delayed the debt limit until 2027, and set aside $110bn for disaster relief.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted the Trump-backed bill as “not serious” and “laughable”.
“Extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us to a government shutdown,” Jeffries said.
Republicans, too, criticised the bill, expressing concern about out-of-control spending.
“I’m not gonna vote for another debt limit increase without knowing what the actual cuts will be. That’s a non-starter,” Representative Chip Roy, a Republican hardliner, told US media.
Johnson said after the failed vote that his party would regroup and “come up with another solution”.
“So stay tuned,” he told reporters.
Without a plan in place, the US government will begin a partial shutdown from Friday midnight, when the latest funding round expires.
A shutdown would mean more than 2 million federal workers will not receive a pay cheque ahead of the holiday season in the US, with immediate budget cuts across the US government from immigration to the National Park Service.
For non-government employees, a shutdown could mean longer lines at the airport in what is already one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.
Certain airport employees, such as air traffic controllers, would be required to keep working without pay, but the Federal Aviation Administration has estimated it would have to furlough as many as 17,000 workers.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), of which all but 3,000 of its 62,000 employees are considered “essential”, has warned of potential delays.
“While our personnel are prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel, please be aware that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a post on X.
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