Congress avoids a shutdown but leaves 'a big mess' for Trump and Republicans in 2025
Congress averted a government shutdown during the holidays but lengthened Donald Trump and Republicans' to-do list for 2025 and previewed potential chaos.
WASHINGTON — Congress struck an 11th-hour deal to avert a government shutdown during the holidays, but in the process, it lengthened an already extensive to-do list for the first year of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office.
The funding bill keeps the government open until March 14. Even though Republicans will control the White House, the House and the Senate, they’ll again need Democratic votes to stop a shutdown in less than three months.
In addition, Trump’s demand that Congress extend or abolish the debt ceiling to take it off his plate next year failed dramatically. On Wednesday, he threatened electoral primary challenges against “any Republican” who voted to fund the government without dealing with the debt limit. On Friday, 170 House Republicans defied him and did just that.
President-elect Donald Trump arrives at his Mar-a-Lago resort on December 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik / Getty ImagesThe turmoil of the week previews the legislative chaos that awaits Washington in the second Trump administration when the incoming president faces a wide range of major deadlines and ambitions.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Republicans made a mistake by punting funding to March 14, and instead should have approved a stopgap bill through the end of next September to clear their plate for Trump’s agenda.
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