Politics Live Updates Government shutdown looms after Trump-backed bill fails By Michael Williams and Leinz Vales, CNN Updated 9:53 AM EST, Fri December 20, 2024 'The world's richest man right now holding the country hostage': Erin Burnett on Musk blowing up bipartisan debt deal 03:47 - Source: CNN What we're covering • Shutdown looms: The US is just hours away from a government shutdown unless a funding plan is passed to avoid it. The House failed Thursday to pass a new Donald Trump-backed GOP proposal to fund the government into March, intensifying the threat of a shutdown ahead of the midnight deadline. • Debt limit suspension: The GOP measure included a three-month extension of government funding, a two-year suspension of the debt limit into January 2027, as well as roughly $110 billion for disaster relief, according to five sources. Nearly all Democrats and 38 Republicans voted against the legislation. • Trump weighs in: The president-elect said Friday morning that if there has to be a government shutdown, he wants it to occur while Joe Biden is president. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who negotiated the original bipartisan deal that was rejected by Trump, told reporters he has a plan and expects to vote again this morning. All Catch Up Spending Bill analysis 15 Posts Sort By Latest 16 min ago Johnson says there will be another vote as he scrambles for a bill that satisfies Democrats and Republicans From CNN's Michael Williams House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to reporters outside of the House Chambers in the US Capitol on December 19, in Washington, DC. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to reporters outside of the House Chambers in the US Capitol on December 19, in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday said he has a plan to call members of Congress back to vote on a bill that will keep the government funded as the deadline to do so edges close. This comes as House Democrats have denounced billionaire Elon Musk’s outsized influence over the government and as Republicans say President-elect Donald Trump should hop on a plane to Washington to try to negotiate a deal in person. Government funding expires at midnight tonight. Here’s what you need to know: House Freedom Caucus member says votes are happening at 10 a.m. ET, but has no details of a plan: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna told reporters that the house would vote at 10 a.m. but disclosed no details of a plan. “We’re not cutting deals with Democrats. We are going to work it out here. I do not believer the government is going to be shutting down,” she said. Her comments came as she emerged from a meeting with key House Republicans and Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance. Democrats slam Musk’s role as “shadow president:” House Democrats are raising concerns about billionaire Elon Musk’s growing influence over ongoing government negotiations after the world’s richest man had helped to torpedo a bill that would have kept the government funded this week. “President Musk woke up on Wednesday morning, and saw some things in there, like some things he wants to do with China that were going to raise questions, so his business in China was going to be challenged,” Rep. Debbie Dingell said on CNN Friday morning, referring sarcastically to Musk’s political power. “There were multiple tweets by Musk on Wednesday, threatening members that they would be primaried if they support it. I don’t think unelected billionaires should be allowed to threaten elected - that’s not the democratic process - and suddenly we didn’t have a deal.” CNN previously reported that since Musk began showing in Trump’s orbit, memes of a “President Musk” have been flourishing online, and Democrats are starting to question whether Musk is functioning as a “shadow president.” Rep. Katherine Clark, the House Minority Whip, said “there is nothing business-as-usual, or status quo, about having an unelected, richest man in the world blowing up negotiations. Why? So he can earn even more money.” Republicans call on Trump to get personally involved in negotiations: Rep. Dusty Johnson said on Friday morning that the idea of a government shutdown sounds “exceptionally stupid” to him. “I don’t see any real value in pessimism,” the South Dakota congressman said when asked if time will run out before the midnight deadline. Asked about suggestions that Trump come to Washington to help resolve the current impasse, Johnson, a South Dakota Republican,