President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have strongly urged Republican lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives not to pass a temporary funding bill to maintain the federal government's operations through March 2025. This move could lead to a government shutdown in just the next three days, the Independent reported.
Trump and Vance said the current bill, drafted by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, would be a betrayal if it did not include provisions to eliminate gesets to the Democrats and increase the debt ceiling.
If the Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we meet all their demands, then challenge them, the two said, blaming President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders, like Senator Chu Schumer, for blocking the process.
Mr. Trump's statement appeared right after a series of long posts on social network X by Elon Musk - the richest person in the world and a major sponsor in Mr. Donald Trump's election campaign. Elon Musk has warned that he will sponsor opponents within the Republican Party to fight anyone who supports the bill.
Elon Musk also downplayed the consequences of a government shutdown, writing: S closing down the government (which doesnt actually affect essential functions) is much better than passing a bad bill like this.
The Tesla billionaire also called for the government to be closed until January 20, 2025, when Donald Trump will officially take office. Elon Musk, Trump's nominee to head the Government Performance Council, bluntly declared that lawmakers who supported the bill due to be removed from office within the next two years.
The statements of Donald Trump and Elon Musk have plunged the Congress into chaos. The House has postponed important polls to December 19 local time, while Democratic and Republican lawmakers debate the future of the funding bill.
The Democrats, who control the Senate until January 3, 2025, warned that a prolonged government shutdown would have serious consequences, including cuts to military services and delays in paying soldiers. However, Trump and Musk have not expressed concern, emphasizing that the delay is necessary to achieve greater political goals.
Senator Mitt Romney, one of the moderate voices in the Republican Party, criticized Trump's prolonged silence in the negotiations: "Mr Trump has always had opinions 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 Mr Trump's inauguration, it would mean millions of Americans would suffer from service shortages for 33 days.
