The US Congress has successfully prevented a government shutdown during the Christmas season after weeks of intense negotiations that went right up to the deadline, approving a bill to fund federal agencies until mid-March.
With just minutes to spare after the midnight deadline had passed, senators bypassed typical procedures to expedite the bill to a vote, halting shutdown preparations and ensuring that over 800,000 workers would not have to go without pay.
“It’s a relief that bipartisan cooperation prevailed in the end… It’s a favorable outcome for the nation and its citizens,” stated Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during a speech on the Senate floor.
Given that Democrats control the Senate, it was expected that the funding package would proceed smoothly, especially after they played a crucial role in assisting the Republican majority in the House to pass the bill earlier in the day.
If the bill had not passed, non-essential government operations would have been halted, affecting up to 875,000 workers with potential furloughs, and as many as 1.4 million others would have been required to work without pay.
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Setting government budgets is always a challenging process for Congress, with both chambers closely divided between Republicans and Democrats.
President-elect Donald Trump, along with tech billionaire Elon Musk, his incoming “efficiency czar,” added to the tension this time by pressuring Republicans at the last minute to withdraw support from a funding agreement they had painstakingly negotiated with Democrats.
Two subsequent attempts to broker a compromise were unsuccessful, leaving Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson at his last opportunity as he spent much of the day in discussions with aides to keep government operations running.
If the funding bill had not succeeded, non-essential government functions would have been paused. Employees in critical services like law enforcement would have continued their work but would only receive pay once government functions resumed.
Numerous parks, monuments, and national sites would have closed, coinciding with an expected influx of visitors.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson
‘Let it begin’
Senators sidestepped potential holiday disruptions by approving government funding through March 14 in a package that includes $110 billion for disaster relief and financial support for farmers.
This package closely resembles a bill that had previously faced significant defeat on Thursday, but without the two-year suspension of the country’s self-imposed borrowing limit that Mr. Trump had demanded.
The influence of Musk, the world’s richest person, over Republicans, along with his apparent sway with Trump, has become a target for Democratic criticism, raising concerns about how an unelected individual can exert such influence.
Even among Republicans, there is increasing frustration regarding Musk’s intervention, particularly after he criticized the original funding deal in a flurry of social media posts—many of which were highly inaccurate—on his platform, X.
“Last I checked, Elon Musk doesn’t have a vote in Congress,” noted Georgia House Republican Rich McCormick to CNN.
“He does have influence and will exert pressure to align with his views. But I have 760,000 constituents who expect me to do my job for them.”
Trump had indicated that he was willing to accept a shutdown if his demands were not met, and the passage of the funding legislation without his priorities showcased that even his significant influence over Congressional Republicans has its limits.
However, Johnson painted a positive picture of the situation, informing reporters after the House passed the funding package that January, when Trump returns to office, would signal a “sea change” in Washington.
“President Trump will make his return to D.C. and the White House, and we will regain Republican control of both the Senate and the House,” Johnson told reporters. “Things are going to be significantly different around here.”
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