The post-election honeymoon period is over as Democrats and Republicans engage in conflict to evade blame for a near government shutdown. Lawmakers were close to passing a spending agreement when Elon Musk and Donald Trump intervened, causing Republicans to walk away from the deal. Eventually, a bipartisan agreement was reached to fund the government through March 14, avoiding a shutdown just minutes before the deadline. However, this temporary solution sets up future conflicts when the next Republican-majority Congress takes office in January.
The political gamesmanship led to a tense few days in Washington, with Democrats and Republicans blaming each other for the breakdown of the initial compromise. Trump and Musk’s involvement in pressuring lawmakers disrupted the process, leading to a revised bill that failed in Congress. Biden stayed out of negotiations, maintaining a hands-off approach as the situation unfolded.
The White House accused Republicans of sabotaging the deal and trying to shift the blame to Biden and the outgoing administration. Federal employees faced the possibility of not receiving paychecks in the event of a shutdown, highlighting the stakes of the political standoff. The narrowly avoided shutdown would have been the first under Biden’s presidency, with both parties likely to face public backlash for the turmoil in Washington.
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