Shutdown Hours Away as House GOP Rejects Its Spending Plan Backup

December 20, 2024

Federal government spending is set to expire just after midnight if Congress can’t reach a last-minute deal today, which would lead to a partial government shutdown.

What’s Happened So Far

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) abandoned a bipartisan, three-month continuing resolution Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump and Trump ally Elon Musk publicly denounced it.

House Republicans then proposed a slimmed-down stopgap bill that would also suspend the debt ceiling for two years, a deal Trump backed. The measure fell far short of the votes it needed for passage, as dozens of Republicans and almost all Democrats opposed it.

What’s Next

“I guess it’s back to the drawing board,” incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told The Hill Thursday night.

House Republican leaders planned to work through the night to determine their next steps.

What a Shutdown Would Mean

“Military personnel on active duty — including reserve component personnel on federal active duty — would continue to report for duty and carry out assigned missions worldwide to defend our nation and protect our national security interests,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday, according to a DOD news story.

The impact would be felt within a few days in defense communities, Military Times reported:

  • Service members would report for duty, but their next paychecks may be delayed.
  • About half of DOD civilian employees would be furloughed. They would get backpay, but contractors and subcontractors would not.
  • DOD child care centers’ availability would be determined base by base, according to guidance issued during previous shutdowns.
  • Most Veterans Affairs activities, including benefits processing, would continue, but hours may be altered at some offices and medical centers.

DOD photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Brittany A. Chase

December 20, 2024

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