Trump’s demands leave Republicans with no plan for the government shutdown

WASHINGTON – Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republican leaders struggled Thursday to devise a backup plan to keep the government open after billionaire Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump rallied conservatives to sink their bipartisan funding deal.

With less than 36 hours until a deadline that would shut down much of the federal government and furlough workers, they have no plan, or even a concept of a plan, for what’s next.

They are not negotiating with the Democrats, despite needing their support to pass a law. They talk among themselves.

“We don’t know anything yet,” the rep said. Dusty Johnson, RS.D., an ally of Johnson, R-La., to reporters as he entered the speaker’s office.

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the chairman of the Appropriations Committee that oversees state funding, said he doesn’t know if he can expect a “lean” bill to continue existing funding and add money for disaster relief, which could be the smallest path of resistance.

“I have no expectation,” Cole said.

In disarray, House Republican leaders have kept their rank-and-file members, as well as senators in both parties, guessing as they work to find a path forward that can satisfy Trump’s demands and win enough support to pass the divided Congress and be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Late. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the incoming majority whip, told NBC News that Senate GOP leaders are waiting to see what House leadership can pass in their chamber.

“I haven’t heard from them,” Barrasso said.

Meanwhile, Democratic leaders berated Johnson and his team for reneging on a bipartisan deal he had signed.

Some noted that it diminishes the credibility of the Republican leadership in any future negotiations. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said there is “a huge trust issue.”

On Wednesday night, Trump threw an unexpected wrench into the funding negotiations when he slammed the bipartisan funding deal that Johnson had negotiated. And in a last-minute demand, he threatened to go after Republicans unless they added a provision to extend the debt limit, months before a deadline to prevent a financially catastrophic default next year — a monumental issue with less than two days left before a shutdown deadline .

On Thursday morning, Trump went even further, telling NBC News that Congress needs to abolish the debt ceiling entirely. In a phone interview, Trump noted that some Democrats have wanted to eliminate the debt ceiling for years and that he would “lead the charge” in that effort.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the former Appropriations Committee chairwoman who is now the panel’s top Democrat, criticized Johnson and Republicans for reneging on the bipartisan funding deal that had been locked in just days earlier.

She said there was a “good deal” coming along, “but for President Musk.”

Asked if the tech billionaire was headed to the Republicans, DeLauro replied, “It would appear to me!”

(Trump told NBC News on Thursday that Musk had only issued a series of statements trying to kill the bipartisan compromise after discussing it with the president-elect, saying the two are aligned on the issue.)

After a private meeting with House Democrats, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said his party continues to support the bipartisan deal struck with Johnson and the GOP to keep the government open through March 14.

But when asked by NBC News if Democrats could support a slimmed-down package that funds the government and includes only a farm bill and disaster relief, Jeffries twice refused to close the door on that possibility.

“We are prepared to move forward with the bipartisan deal that we believed was negotiated in good faith with House Republicans — along with Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans — that meets the needs of the American people at this time,” Jeffries said at the time. management news conference.

“We are fighting for ordinary Americans, not for millionaires and billionaires. We are fighting for ordinary Americans who will be hurt by a reckless Republican shutdown.”

Jeffries added that any debate about extending or removing the debt ceiling right now is “premature at best.”

And in a telling sign, Jeffries said he doesn’t know who is responsible among Republicans for negotiating a deal, calling it a “good question.”

“I don’t have the answers right now,” he said.

Garcia said many Democrats are disinterested in giving in to Trump’s debt ceiling demands, given what he plans to do.

“Donald Trump wants to get rid of the debt ceiling because he essentially wants to pass huge tax cuts to enrich his friends, to enrich Elon Musk and his companies and redistribute hard-earned wealth that middle-class Americans have earned,” the congressman said. “And so we can have a discussion about the debt ceiling separately.”

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said he sympathizes with Johnson, arguing that even “the Lord Jesus would have a very difficult time running this conference.”

Rep. Mike Lawler, RN.Y., who just won re-election in a swing district, said on MSNBC that it’s “very clear Donald Trump is in charge” and that Republicans need Democratic support for a bill.

“The reality here is very simple. We have to negotiate,” Lawler told host Andrea Mitchell. “I want to remind everybody that we’re in a divided government. Still, Democrats control the Senate and the White House, so there will have to be a bipartisan negotiation.”

Unsaid, as Musk calls for a government shutdown until Jan. 20 — when Trump is inaugurated as president and Republicans will control Congress — is that the GOP will still need Democratic support to reopen it.