President-elect Donald Trump predicted that House Speaker Mike Johnson would “easily” take the gavel if he gets back on track with the government funding package that has sent Republicans into open revolt.
Trump, 78, and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, 40, maneuvered Wednesday to completely scrap the bipartisan agreement to avoid a partial government shutdown amid mounting Republican opposition. The next president wants Mr. Johnson (R-Louisiana), 52, to overhaul the plan.
“If the Speaker can act decisively and forcefully and remove all of the traps set by Democrats that are destroying our country, economically and otherwise, he will easily remain Speaker.” President Trump told Fox News.
On Tuesday night, Congressional leaders announced a stopgap funding plan that would avert a government shutdown from midnight Friday into Saturday and keep the lights on in government through March 14, 2025. .
But the 1,547-page bill includes a variety of additional items, including $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in aid to farmers, the first congressional pay increase since 2009, and assistance returning Washington's commander in chief. It was included. RFK Stadium site, etc.
Republicans publicly revolted, with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-directors Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy urging Republicans to kill the bill.
Trump was originally a mother. And on Wednesday evening, he and Mr. Vance called on Republicans to take away “Democrat perks” and work to raise the debt ceiling.
“Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” Trump and Vance declared in a joint statement.
The notable change for the Republican chairman raised questions about the extent to which Mr. Trump and Mr. Johnson coordinated on the funding bill. The two have been in contact for some time, and were even seen talking at an Army-Navy game over the weekend.
Last year, in the wake of embarrassing funding disruptions, Congress agreed to suspend the debt ceiling, the limit on the government's borrowing authority, until early 2025. That means it could be a difficult issue for the next administration to tackle all at once early on. President Trump will likely turn to a broader legislative agenda.
Mr Vance spoke with Mr Johnson for about an hour on Wednesday night and did not provide many details, but claimed they had a “productive conversation” afterwards.
House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) suggested to reporters that the funding deal announced late Tuesday had fallen through.
“Anyone who supports a bill that doesn't respect the Democratic quicksand known as the debt ceiling should be removed and disposed of as soon as possible,” Trump added of the funding bill on Fox News.
Several Republican senators have publicly withdrawn their support for Johnson to remain speaker as the rebellion erupts.
“He doesn't have my vote,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) bluntly told CNN during the funding controversy.
From the other chamber, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested that his House colleagues consider asking Musk to preside.
“Nothing will disrupt this swamp more than electing Elon Musk…think about it…nothing is impossible. Needless to say, the joy of watching them disappear) he posted on x.
The vote for Speaker of the House is expected to take place when the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2025.
Johnson is in a tight race against time. He has several members of the House Republican caucus who are likely to oppose almost any spending aimed at averting a government shutdown.
That means the bill will likely need Democratic support to pass the House. From there, it must pass the Democratic-controlled Senate and be signed by President Biden.
“House Republicans were ordered to shut down the government and hurt the working class Americans they claim to support,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) I wrote to X.
“If you break a bipartisan agreement, you bear the consequences.”
Meanwhile, the White House is slamming Republican leaders for the confusion as they scramble to put together a Plan B for funding.
“Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement, or they will harm hard-working Americans and create instability across the country,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “It will bring about this,” he said.
