WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump endorsed a House Republican deal Thursday to fund the government for three months and avert a shutdown that would have begun late Friday night.
“SUCCESS in Washington!” Trump posted Thursday afternoon, as negotiations ended in House Speaker Mike Johnson’s offices in the Capitol.
“The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely impacted by the devastating hurricanes,” wrote Trump.
“The date of the very unnecessary Debt Ceiling will be pushed out two years, to January 30, 2027,” he added. “All Republicans, and even the Democrats, should do what is best for our Country, and vote “YES” for this Bill, TONIGHT!”
As of 4:00 p.m., Democrats had not yet backed the deal and were expected to hold a last-minute caucus meeting. Republicans were aiming for a vote in the full House sometime Thursday evening.
Journalists wait outside of the office for House Speaker Mike Johnson at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on December 19, 2024.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
The deal is comprised of several pieces. The first is a three-month extension of current government spending levels, known as a continuing resolution, or CR. There is also a $110 billion extension of disaster and farm aid that was major Democratic demand.
Crucially, the deal would also suspend the U.S. debt ceiling for two years, a remarkable late-stage addition to a government funding bill. Debt ceiling hikes are typically hammered out over months, but Trump said Wednesday that he did not want to take office and immediately have to face a vote to raise the U.S. debt limit.
The agreement capped off a chaotic day of negotiations and noise on Capitol Hill, as Republicans worked to rescue what they could of a massive spending package that had been carefully negotiated so that it could pass the Republican controlled House and the Democratic controlled Senate.
But that deal fell apart after Trump and billionaire Elon Musk panned it.
— NBC News’ Katherine Doyle contributed reporting
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