President Trump, alongside Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, called on lawmakers to reject a temporary spending bill designed to keep the government funded past Friday, heightening the chances of a partial government shutdown.
The joint statement criticized the proposed measure for including “Democrat giveaways” and pushed for an alternative bill focused solely on temporary spending, disaster relief, and raising the nation’s debt ceiling.
“If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration?” Trump and Vance said in a statement.
The proposed stopgap measure, which extends funding through March 14, emerged after negotiators reached an agreement on Tuesday. However, Trump’s comments, coupled with opposition from his ally Elon Musk, have complicated its passage. Musk, who has spent more than $250 million to support Trump’s election and has been tasked by Trump to help cut federal spending, has urged Congress to reject the bill and vowed electoral consequences for its supporters.
If the government were to shutdown, it would be the first since late 2018, during Trump’s previous term in office. It was the longest shutdown in U.S. history, lasting 34 days.
Read the joint statement from Trump and Vance here.
