TRUMP-BACKED BILL TO KEEP US GOVERNMENT RUNNING FAILS TO PASS

A spending bill backed by Donald Trump has failed to pass in the US House of Representatives, leaving Congress with no clear plan to avert a fast-approaching government shutdown ¹. The bill, which would have extended government funding into March and provided $100 billion in disaster relief, was rejected by 38 Republicans who defied Trump's demands.

The failed vote has laid bare the fault lines in Trump's Republican Party, which could surface again next year when they control the White House and both chambers of Congress. Trump had pressured lawmakers to tie up loose ends before he takes office on January 20, but members of the party's right flank refused to support a package that would increase spending and add trillions more to the federal government's $36 trillion in debt.

The bill's failure has sparked concerns about the potential impact of a government shutdown on Christmas travel and the economy. If lawmakers fail to extend the deadline, the US government will begin a partial shutdown that would interrupt funding for everything from border enforcement to national parks and cut off paychecks for more than 2 million federal workers.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has provided no details on next steps, saying only that "we will come up with another solution". The White House has also stated that Democratic President Joe Biden does not support the bill.