By Bo Erickson, Katharine Jackson, Andy Sullivan and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the US Congress filed a third attempt to prevent a government shutdown on Friday in just a few hours, after two previous plans were shot down by President-elect Donald Trump and members of his party.
Republican Representative Ralph Norman told reporters that party leaders planned to hold a vote on the third spending bill, although he did not provide details.
Others say they will not try to defeat Democrats whose support is needed to extend the funding by midnight Friday (0500 GMT Saturday), when it expires.
“We don't work with Democrats,” said Republican Representative Nancy Mace.
If Congress doesn't pass the spending package, funding for everything from law enforcement to national parks will be disrupted and millions of federal workers will go unpaid.
Authorities have warned that travelers during the busy Christmas season could face long queues at airports. Sources say the White House has warned government agencies to prepare for the impending shutdown. The federal government last shut down for 35 days during Trump's first White House tenure over a dispute over border security.
Several media outlets have reported that Republicans plan to hold multiple votes that would allow lawmakers to vote separately on items that were previously combined. The House will then vote separately on extending federal funding in March, disaster relief, and farm aid that expires at the end of the year.
Lawmakers could vote separately on raising the bill — a difficult task Trump wants Congress to do before he takes office on Jan. 20.
“We have a plan,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters. “We are expecting votes this morning.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he has been in touch with Johnson, but has not seen the latest Republican plan.
It will be the third attempt by Johnson, who saw his first package – a bipartisan deal negotiated with Democrats who still control the Senate and the White House – collapse on Wednesday after online criticism from Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire. a counselor.
The second package, combined with government funding and disaster relief and Trump's claim to raise the national debt limit, failed to pass the House on Thursday as Democrats and 38 Republicans voted against it.
Democrats accuse Johnson of giving in to pressure on unelected billionaires, while Republican opponents say they will not vote for a package that increases government spending and paves the way for trillions of dollars in debt increases.
Trump, who takes office in one month, overnight amended his speech, calling for a five-year suspension of the US debt even after the House rejected a two-year extension.
“Congress must abandon, or extend, perhaps, 2029, the Debt Ceiling. Without this, we should not make a deal,” Trump wrote in his post on social media just after 1 am.
The previous fight over the debt ceiling has damaged financial markets, as a US government default could send credit shocks around the world. The limit is suspended under an agreement that technically expires on Jan. 1, although lawmakers were not required to resolve the issue before spring.