US government funding bill fails in House
The latest version of the short-term bill to fund the United States government failed in the House of Representatives with 174 representatives voting in favor and 235 against, including 8 Republicans. The legislation, negotiated only by Republican lawmakers, needed a two-thirds majority. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and numerous other House Democrats criticized the bill and indicated they would vote against it.
The proposal included suspending the debt ceiling until January 2027 as requested by President-elect Donald Trump. However, the measure was rejected by some conservative Republicans who insist on the GOP being the "party of fiscal responsibility" and worry about ballooning US federal debt. Without a new spending bill, the US government will be shut down on Saturday.