Draft:2024 United States federal government shutdown
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Budget and debt in the United States of America |
|---|
  |
The United States federal government shut down at midnight EST on Saturday, December 21, 2024. It began after a failure to pass legislation to fund government operations and agencies. This stemmed from a series of disputes over policy riders, with incoming president Donald Trump seeking a suspension of the debt ceiling, Democrats seeking legislation funding childhood cancer research and pharmacy benefit manager reform, and many lawmakers pushing for disaster aid, aid to farmers, and various other provisions.[1][2][3][4]
Background
[edit]In the 2024 United States elections, Donald Trump was elected President and the Republican Party won majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. However, the new congress does not take office until January 3. This resulted in a lame duck session for the 118th congress, where Republicans held a narrow majority in the House and the Democratic Party held a narrow majority in the Senate, with Democrat Joe Biden serving as president until Trump's inauguration on January 20.[5]
In the 118th Congress, the far-right House Freedom Caucus, has secured a number of House of Representatives seats.[6] Many Freedom Caucus members initially did not support the party's nominee Kevin McCarthy for speaker, although McCarthy won on the 15th ballot after agreeing to give hardliners seats on the Rules Committee, which controls which bills come to the floor, to lower the threshold for a motion to vacate the chair to one member, and to push for steep spending cuts.[7] However, Republican infighting and opposition from Democrats meant that Republicans were unable to pass a complete budget.[8][9] In response, McCarthy cut deals with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and keep the government open.[10] This led to his removal as speaker and the election of Mike Johnson as speaker.[11] Johnson also cut spending deals with Democrats for fiscal year 2024, but a motion to remove him was unsuccessful.[12]
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 called for $895 billion in defense spending and $711 billion in non-defense discretionary spending for fiscal year 2025, both representing a 1% increase over fiscal year 2024.[13] House Republicans, however, looked to pass partisan spending bills which included a 6% cut to non-defense spending and added restrictions on abortion access, environmental programs, gender-affirming care, and diversity initiatives.[14][15] Although these bills were considered dead on arrival in the Senate, Republicans hoped to pass all 12 regular appropriations bills before the August recess to gain a better hand in negotiations. They passed 5 bills largely along party lines but failed to pass additional bills due to internal disagreements over policy riders.[16][17] Instead, lawmakers approved a continuing resolution, extending fiscal year 2024 funding levels until December 20.[18]
Beginning of shutdown
[edit]Following the 2024 elections, many Republicans, including top members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, argued for a year-end omnibus spending bill to take care of government funding, allowing the incoming Trump administration to focus on legislative agenda items without a government funding fight. Other Republicans, including some Freedom Caucus members and speaker Johnson, called for a continuing resolution, hoping that kicking the can to a Trump administration would allow for greater spending cuts. Both bills would need Democratic support to pass.[19]
First continuing resolution
[edit]On December 17, congressional leaders released a bipartisan continuing resolution. The bill contained an extension of government funding to March 14, 2025, a one year extension of the farm bill, and $110 billion in disaster aid.[20] The bill, which was 1,547 pages, was described as a christmas tree bill due to its inclusion of unrelated policy riders.[21] These included $10 billion in economic aid for farmers, restrictions on US capital investment in China, transferring ownership of RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia allowing for a new Washington Commanders stadium, extensions of numerous healthcare programs, legislation requiring pharmacy benefit managers to pass 100% of rebates to sponsors of prescription drug plans, several tech and AI related bills, legislation requiring ticket sellers to list the full prices of each ticket, provisions allowing gas stations to sell E15 fuel year-round, and an effective 3.8% pay increase for members of congress.[2][22][23][24][25][26]
Even before the bill was released, numerous hardline Republicans came out against the bill, criticizing the lack of member input in its development and the riders, which they called unnecessary and wasteful.[27][28] Elon Musk, a top Republican donor and nominee for the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, posted over 100 times on X in opposition to the bill, making numerous misleading claims, and was widely credited for its eventual defeat.[29][30][31] About 12 hours after Musk first came out against the package, Trump and vice president-elect JD Vance released a statement criticizing the deal, calling it a "Democrat giveaway," at which point Johnson abandoned the bill.[32] Trump called for pairing government funding with an increase to the debt ceiling, which was scheduled to be reached sometime between January and June of 2025, and later argued it should be abolished entirely.[33] Democrats criticized Republicans for walking away from a bipartisan deal after Musk, the richest man in the world, came out against it, with senator Bernie Sanders calling it "oligarchy at work" and many insinuating that Musk was in reality the "shadow president."[29][34][35]
Second continuing resolution
[edit]After several hours of negotiations, on December 19, House Republicans announced the American Relief Act. The bill, similar to the previous bill, extended government funding to March 14 while providing disaster aid and extending the farm bill, but also suspended the debt ceiling until 2027. It removed most of the riders in the previous bill, except for the economic aid for farmers and some healthcare extensions.[36] Trump announced his support for the bill.[37] Democratic leaders quickly came out against the bill, saying they were not involved in the negotiations and the bill, which removed most riders sought by Democrats while keeping those sought by Republicans, was "laughable."[38] However, many hardline Republicans opposed raising the debt ceiling without spending cuts.[39][40] Republicans brought the bill to the floor later that day under suspension of the rules, which required a 2/3rds majority to pass, but the bill failed overwhelmingly, and Republican leaders subsequently abandoned the bill.[41]
| Party | Votes for | Votes against | Votes present | Not voting/Absent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican (219) | 172 | 38
|
– | ||
| Democratic (211) | 197 | ||||
| Total (430)[nb 1] | 174 | 235 | 1 | 20 | |
Proposals for a third continuing resolution
[edit]Republicans considered several options for a third continuing resolution.[43] Eventually, they chose a bill identical to the second continuing resolution except for the debt ceiling increase.[44] Meanwhile, a handshake agreement was reached to raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion while also cutting $2.5 trillion in mandatory spending via the budget reconciliation process during Trump's term, which Democrats claimed would require cuts to Social Security or Medicare.[45]
Shutdown
[edit]The shutdown began on midnight EST on December 20, 2024.[46]
Effects
[edit]Agencies
[edit]On federal employees
[edit]On Native Americans
[edit]On the military
[edit]Economic impact
[edit]Taxes
[edit]Food stamps, inspections, and school lunches
[edit]National parks and capital museums
[edit]Closures or limited access
[edit]Airspace and aviation workers
[edit]On airports
[edit]Judiciary and law enforcement
[edit]Homeland security
[edit]Other agencies
[edit]Reactions
[edit]Protests and lawsuits
[edit]Members of Congress donating or refusing salary
[edit]Aid for federal employees
[edit]Public opinion
[edit]Aftermath
[edit]2025 Speaker of the House election
[edit]See also
[edit]- Government shutdowns in the United States
- List of United States federal funding gaps
- 2025 United States federal budget
Notes
[edit]- ^ 5 seats vacant
References
[edit]- ^ Lane, Sylvan (December 19, 2024). "5 things to know about Trump's call to scrap debt ceiling". The Hill. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Post; Share; Post; Print; Email; License. "Stopgap funding bill includes sweeping PBM reform, preserves telehealth flexibilities". Healthcare Dive. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
{{cite web}}:|last5=has generic name (help) - ^ Writer, Andrew Stanton Weekend Staff (December 19, 2024). "Funding for pediatric cancer research removed from spending bill". Newsweek. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ News, A. B. C. "Collapse of budget deal over Trump's objections leaves American farmers in limbo". ABC News. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Jr, Fernando Cervantes. "When is the government shutdown deadline? What to know as shutdown looms". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "Congress Embarks on Spending Battle as Shutdown Looms at End of September (Published 2023)". September 10, 2023. Archived from the original on October 13, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "Kevin McCarthy elected House speaker, but at a cost". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Zanona, Melanie; Wilson, Kristin; Fox, Lauren; Raju, Manju; Talbot, Haley (April 26, 2023). "House votes to pass debt ceiling bill in win for McCarthy". CNN. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ Edmondson, Catie; Guo, Kayla; Hulse, Carl (September 29, 2023). "Right Wing Tanks Stopgap Bill in House, Pushing Government Toward a Shutdown". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Senate Voting to Keep Government Running Through Mid-November". The New York Times. September 30, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Mike Hayes; Kaanita Iyer; Elise Hammond (October 25, 2023). "Rep. Mike Johnson voted new House speaker | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ "Failure to oust Speaker 'MAGA Mike' Johnson shows strength and weakness of his alliance with Trump". AP News. May 9, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "Discretionary Spending Caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023". Congressional Research Service. June 28, 2023.
- ^ "House Republican Bills Deeply Cut Programs That Help Low-Income People and Underserved Communities | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities". www.cbpp.org. November 22, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ O’Brien, Connor (June 28, 2024). "House sends far-right Pentagon bill straight into Senate woodchipper". POLITICO. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "House Republicans bail on another spending bill as their summer funding ambitions fizzle". POLITICO. July 23, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Appropriations Status Table". crsreports.congress.gov. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Greve, Joan E. (September 26, 2024). "Biden signs three-month funding bill to avert US government shutdown". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Johnson could be the only leader who wants a CR". Punchbowl News. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Hubbard, Kaia (December 17, 2024). "Congressional leaders unveil bill to avoid government shutdown as deadline nears - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Top lawmakers unveil 'Christmas-tree' funding bill with $100B for disasters". POLITICO. December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Downs, Andres Picon, Emma Dumain, Garrett (December 18, 2024). "What's in, what's out of the year-end funding deal". E&E News by POLITICO. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "A stadium, a pay raise for lawmakers, music tourism — and gov't funding". Punchbowl News. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Congress Includes The TICKETS Act And The American Music Tourism Act In Its Latest Spending Bill". celebrityaccess.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Czopek, Madison. "Lawmakers didn't propose raising their salaries to $243,000". PolitiFact. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Curi, Maria (December 18, 2024). "Congress slips AI, China competition bills into CR". Axios. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Hubbard, Kaia (December 17, 2024). "Congressional leaders unveil bill to avoid government shutdown as deadline nears - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "The CR isn't out yet – and Johnson is already getting heat". Punchbowl News. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Meyer, Zac Anderson and Josh. "'President-elect Musk': Elon's influence on display in government spending fight". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "'Elon Musk has killed the bill': Tech billionaire flexes newfound political muscle". NBC News. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Elon Musk fueled backlash to spending plan with false and misleading claims". POLITICO. December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Fox, Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer, Alayna Treene, Kristen Holmes, Lauren (December 18, 2024). "Trump and Vance slam Johnson-negotiated government funding deal and demand including a lift to the debt ceiling | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Trump calls for abolishing the debt ceiling". NBC News. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Solender, Andrew (December 19, 2024). "Democrats rage at "unelected co-president" Elon Musk's new power". Axios. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Trump Dragged for Letting "President Musk" Run the Government". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Mychael Schnell, Emily Brooks (December 19, 2024). "Republicans announce government funding agreement, Thursday vote as shutdown looms". The Hill. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Trump endorses GOP spending deal". POLITICO. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Jeffries says 'hell no' to GOP funding deal, ratcheting up chances of a shutdown". POLITICO. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Zanona, Melanie [@MZanona] (December 19, 2024). "Johnson under immense pressure to raise the debt ceiling after Trump's demand. But here's the thing: there's a bloc of Rs who've never voted to raise the debt ceiling. Some want spending cuts & reforms to do so. A hugely complicated issue to tackle just one day before shutdown" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Samuels, Brett (December 19, 2024). "Donald Trump threatens primary against Chip Roy amid spending fight". The Hill. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Republicans scramble for a path forward after spending plan collapse". POLITICO. December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Roll Call 516 - Bill Number: H. R. 10515". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "It's shutdown day. Johnson has a few options". Punchbowl News. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "House GOP picks new funding plan that will need wide Democratic support". POLITICO. December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "House Republicans float a debt limit, spending pact deal — with themselves". POLITICO. December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Freking, Kevin; Jalonick, Mary Clare (March 22, 2024). "Senate struggles to wrap up $1.2 trillion funding package as partial shutdown deadline nears". AP News. Retrieved March 22, 2024.