The United States House of Representatives has passed a last-minute budget bill to keep the federal government funded and avoid a shutdown. The bill must now progress to the Senate before the deadline of Saturday at 12:01am local time. The legislation received overwhelming support in the House with 366 votes in favor and 34 against, with one Democrat abstaining. However, the bill did not address the issue of the debt ceiling, which has been a contentious topic among Republicans.
President-elect Donald Trump had opposed a previous bipartisan bill because it did not address the debt ceiling, which he compared to a “guillotine”. Despite his opposition, the bill passed in the House on Friday following closed-door negotiations. Speaker Mike Johnson praised the bill as a win for Trump’s America First economic platform.
The bill includes funding for farm aid and disaster relief, with approximately $10 billion allocated for farm aid and $100 billion for disaster relief. The sabre-rattling that accompanied earlier versions of the bill had largely subsided by Friday night, with Trump allies like Elon Musk praising Speaker Johnson for streamlining the legislation.
Democrats have raised concerns about Musk’s growing influence over the Republican Party, as he is set to advise Trump’s incoming administration in a new role. Despite internal dissent within the Republican Party, Democrats ultimately provided the majority of votes needed to pass the bill in the House. Representative Jared Moskowitz credited Democrats for keeping the government open and delivering for the American people.
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