Congress in disarray and shutdown looms as Trump, Musk pan spending deal

The president-elect and Elon Musk rejected the bipartisan spending plan that would prevent a government shutdown.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersCongress in disarray and shutdown looms as Trump, Musk slam spending dealGetty ImagesSpeaker of the House Mike Johnson has defended the 1,500 page stopgap bill The US could face a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday after President-elect Donald Trump called on Republican lawmakers to reject a bipartisan funding bill that would have kept the government funded through March.

Trump urged Congress to scrap the deal and pass a slimmer version with fewer provisions. His intervention followed heavy criticism of the bill by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Congressman Steve Scalise, the Republican House Majority Leader, indicated on Wednesday night that the bill was dead after Trump denounced it.

The short-term funding bill will need to be passed by Congress by the end of week to prevent federal government offices from shuttering beginning on Saturday.

Now, Republican leadership must go back to the drawing board, and they only have until 23:59 EDT (04:59 GMT) to reach a deal before funding expires and the government shuts down.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0e7j94732o

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