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As the dust settles with Congress frantically passing an eleventh-hour stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown, lawmakers are having their say on a chaotic week on Capitol Hill.
President Biden signed the 118-page bill into law on Saturday, extending government funding through March, the White House announced The bill provides more than $100 billion in disaster relief for those affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southeastern United States earlier this year. It also includes a $10 billion provision for financial assistance to farmers.
President Biden Neither has President-elect Trump spoken publicly about passing the legislation, although sources tell Fox the new president isn’t all that happy with the bill because it doesn’t suspend the debt ceiling.
The US Capitol, December 12, 2024 in Washington DC It was a frantic week of tough negotiations in the nation’s capital. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNS FUNDING BILL TO APPROPRIATE FUNDING, STRICTLY AVOIDING APPROPRIATION
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for his handling of the negotiations, said after the House vote that the result was “a good result for the country”. He said he had spoken to Trump and that the president-elect was “happy with this outcome as well.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called the legislation a victory for his party.
“House Democrats have successfully prevented extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, stalling the economy and hurting working-class Americans across the country,” Jeffries said, referring to the Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised Democrats, including Jeffries and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., for “their unity and courage in standing up to Trump-Musk irresponsibility.”
“Democrats will always fight to protect the needs of America’s working families, veterans, seniors, farmers and first responders against the GOP agenda for billionaires and special interests.”
At the beginning of the week, after the objections of Elon Musk and President-elect Trump. A watered-down version was rejected by House members on Thursday before the House overwhelmingly approved Speaker Mike Johnson’s new bill by a 366-34 vote on Friday.
The Senate worked until Saturday morning to pass the bill 85-11, just past the deadline.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for his handling of the negotiations, said after the House vote that the result is “a good result for the country.” (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
WHITE HOUSE URGES BIDEN WHO REFUSES TO TALK PUBLICLY BEFORE SHUTDOWN
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the passage of the funding legislation early Saturday.
“There will be no government shutdown right before Christmas,” Schumer wrote to X. “We will keep the government open with a bipartisan bill that funds the government, helps affected Americans. by the hurricanes and natural disasters, help our farmers and avoid damaging cuts.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, RNY, said the revised funding package maintains government funding at current levels, provides aid to Americans affected by natural disasters and protects agricultural supply chains.
“This simple bill is not only much more acceptable to me, but it respects the taxpayers we represent, unlike the previous boondoggle I opposed, which was over 1,500 pages long and gave unnecessary and expensive freebies to Democrats,” Malliotakis wrote to X.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gives a thumbs up as he leaves the Senate chamber after speaking on the Senate floor on December 20, 2024. ((Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images))
“Passing this legislation today gives us what we need until President Trump is sworn in and in place so our Republican trifecta can deliver the results the American people voted for.”
Rep. Mike Lawler, RNY, asked why President Biden appeared to have a limited role in the negotiations.
“People don’t recognize that even though the focus has been on President Trump, Joe Biden is still the president, which is really mind-boggling, because no one has heard from him in weeks,” Lawler said. on Fox and Friends Weekend on Saturday, and added. that the debt ceiling has been used as a “political piñata for decades.”
“The minority party is using this as leverage in a negotiation, and I think what President Trump is trying to avoid is giving the Democrats a loaded gun to hold his head here.”
Elsewhere, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., applauded the Senate for passing the DC Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, which he had introduced and helped pass in the House.
The bill it would give the District of Columbia control of the 174-acre RFK campus and revive potential plans for a new Washington Commanders stadium.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., applauded the Senate for passing the DC Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The surprising move came after a provision of the original continuing resolution (CR) — to transfer control of the RFK campus from the federal government to the district — was removed from Thursday’s slimmed-down version of the bill.
“The Senate’s passage of the DC RFK Stadium Campus Revitalization Act is a historic moment for our nation’s capital. If Congress did not act today, this decaying land in Washington would continue to cost taxpayers a fortune to keep,” Comer said.
“The revitalization of this RFK Memorial Stadium site has been an economic priority for the city, and I am proud to have partnered with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to bring this bill to the finish line and to the Speaker’s desk. This bipartisan achievement is a testament to the House Oversight Committee’s unwavering effort to protect taxpayers and our total commitment to ensuring a prosperous capital for residents and visitors to future generations,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
