President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have strongly urged Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives not to pass a temporary funding bill to keep the federal government running through March 2025. This move could lead to a government shutdown in just three days, the Independent reported.
Mr Trump and Mr Vance have said the current bill, which was drafted by House Republican leaders, would be a “treason” if it did not include provisions to eliminate “gifts to Democrats” and raise the debt ceiling.
“If the Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we meet all their demands, then defy them,” the two said, blaming President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders, like Sen. Chuck Schumer, for blocking progress.
Trump's statement came shortly after Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a major donor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, warned on Twitter that he would fund Republican opponents to fight anyone who supported the bill.
Elon Musk also downplayed the consequences of the government shutdown, writing: “Shutting down the government (which doesn’t actually affect essential functions) is infinitely better than passing a bad bill like this.”
The Tesla billionaire also called for the government to be shut down until January 20, 2025 - the date Donald Trump officially takes office. Elon Musk, who was nominated by Trump to head the Government Performance Council, bluntly stated that the lawmakers who supported the bill "deserve to be removed from office within the next two years."
The announcements by Donald Trump and Elon Musk have thrown Congress into chaos. The House of Representatives has postponed key votes until December 19 local time, while Democratic and Republican lawmakers argue over the future of the funding bill.
Democrats, who control the Senate until January 3, 2025, have warned that a prolonged shutdown would have serious consequences, including cuts to military services and delayed pay for troops. But Trump and Musk have played down concerns, insisting the delay is necessary to achieve a larger political goal.
Senator Mitt Romney, one of the few moderate voices in the Republican Party, criticized Mr. Trump’s prolonged silence during the negotiations: “Mr. Trump has an opinion on almost every issue in the world. But with this important vote, what does he want us to do?”
If the US government is shut down until President Trump's inauguration, it would mean millions of Americans would be without services for 33 days.
