A Trump-backed bill to keep the US government operating has failed

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted against funding backed by Donald Trump, bringing the government’s shutdown to a close this weekend.

The revised spending plan failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed in the lower house of Congress, with 38 Republicans voting against the bill Thursday night, defying the president-elect.

Trump scuttled a previous cross-party funding deal that House Republican leaders struck with Democrats after fierce criticism of the measure from tech billionaire Elon Musk.

After the bill was defeated by a vote of 174 to 235, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would come up with another solution Friday before state funding runs out at midnight.

A new bill approved by Trump would tie government funding to a two-year suspension of the federal debt limit, which determines how much the government can borrow to pay its bills.

Here are five things to know about a possible government shutdown:

The government shutdown now looming can be traced back to September, when another budget deadline loomed.

Johnson failed to pass a six-month funding extension. Democrats largely voted against the expansion, which included a measure (the SAVE Act) that required proof of citizenship to vote.

Instead, Congress reached a bipartisan deal on a landmark bill that would keep the government funded until Dec. 20.

Johnson promised at his Republican convention that in December, when the funding deadline expires, they won’t have to vote on a spending bill for everything but the kitchen sink before the holiday break.

But when congressional leaders released the text of the latest spending bill on Tuesday, three days before lawmakers were to adjourn for the holidays, it ran to 1,547 pages.

The bill extends government funding through March 14 — nearly three months after Trump’s return to the White House.

It included more than $110bn (£88bn) in emergency aid and $30bn in aid to farmers; the first salary increase for MPs since 2009; federal funds to rebuild a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore; health care reforms; and provisions aimed at preventing deceptive advertising in hotels and live entertainment venues.

Some Republicans have criticized Johnson for abandoning a simpler spending bill, particularly condemning left-leaning provisions that were negotiated to gain support from Democrats.

Johnson defended the deal, blaming “force majeure” for needing some extra provisions, such as disaster relief and aid to farmers.

Still, opposition to Johnson’s spending deal intensified Wednesday.

Musk, whom Trump has tasked with identifying spending cuts as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (ie is not an official government agency), actively lobbied against the existing deal with dozens of posts on X.

He called it “criminal” and often referred to false claims about the bill in his posts.

Musk wrote on X that any lawmaker “who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years.”

After Musk spoke out against the spending bill, Trump and J. D. Vance, the future vice president, dealt the final blow to Johnson’s deal that evening.

In a joint statement, they said they wanted to streamline the legislation without the Democratic-backed provisions that Johnson included.

They also called on Congress to raise or repeal the debt ceiling, which determines how much the government can borrow to pay bills, and to limit funding legislation to temporary spending and disaster relief.

They called everything else “treason to our country.”

Johnson and House Republicans introduced the streamlined legislation on Thursday, which then failed to pass a vote that evening. It is not clear what they will do next.

Lawmakers are not expected to vote again Thursday, meaning they will return Friday morning with less than 24 hours on the clock before a possible shutdown.

But it is clear that the partisan blame game is in full swing. After the bill was defeated Thursday, Johnson told reporters that it was “very disappointing” that nearly all Democrats in the House voted against it.

“I think it’s really irresponsible for us to risk stopping these issues on things they’ve already agreed to,” he said.

Johnson will likely need support from Democrats, especially as divisions within his own party over the bill became apparent this week.

But Democrats are unlikely to help Johnson support an updated funding bill, accusing it of violating their bipartisan agreement.

“You are breaking a bipartisan agreement, you are responsible for the consequences,” wrote House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on X, which is owned by Musk.

And others appeared to mock Republicans for appearing to accept their leadership from the unelected Mr. Musk.

On the House floor Thursday, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro — the top Democratic appropriator in the House — called the billionaire “President Musk,” prompting laughter from fellow Democrats.

“President Musk said, ‘Don’t do it, shut down the government,'” she said.

Still, Johnson must find a way to win over Democrats to pass the spending bill, especially if pent-up anger in his own caucus is set to boil over.

Timing is also important. These negotiations usually take weeks.

Federal agencies rely on annual funding. If Congress fails to pass the 12 spending bills that make up the spending budget, these agencies must cease non-essential functions.

Essential services such as border patrol, hospital medical care, law enforcement and air traffic control continue to operate.

But many federal employees may be without pay.

While Social Security and Medicare checks are being mailed, benefit checks and card issuance are suspended. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is mandatory, but the closure may affect food stamp benefits. This can lead to delays for similar aid programs.

Other agencies are shutting down entirely.

The Food and Drug Administration is ending food safety inspections, the Environmental Protection Agency is ending inspections, and national parks are close to visitors.

It was the first major test of Trump’s influence over incumbent Republicans in Congress, and Thursday’s vote saw some opt out.

It also creates a challenge for Speaker Johnson, as the House is set to vote in just 15 days on who will serve as Speaker of the next Congress.

What once looked like a guaranteed position for Johnson now looks less secure.

After facing backlash from Mr Trump and Mr Musk, the Louisiana Republican is now under scrutiny from members of his own party over his handling of public funding.

Several Republicans said they would not vote for Johnson to lead the chamber. He cannot afford to lose the support of many Republicans, given that the party has a slim majority of just five seats in the next Congress.

The threat to Johnson is serious, given recent Republican history.

In January 2023, California Republican Kevin McCarthy went through 15 rounds of voting before taking the Speakership.

After just 10 months, he was ousted by Republicans who accused him of failing to cut spending and working with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown.