With a midnight deadline looming to prevent a government shutdown, Donald Trump’s ability to disrupt negotiations through social media post offers a preview of the next four years. But first, you should know:
- Numerous House Republicans voted with Democrats to defeat their own speaker’s latest plan to fund the government.
- New H-1B visa regulations will give the Trump administration more power to probe possible fraud.
- Meet the Silicon Valley players who are taking on key advisory or formal roles in the Trump administration.
Trump’s Stopgap Tweets Augur Next Four Years
The turmoil caused by President-elect Donald Trump’s social media posts over the year-end funding deal offers a forecast of what to expect over the next four years—particularly for those who grew accustomed to President Joe Biden’s more low-key, conventional style.
- “Pretty obvious that it is President Trump’s government at this time and basically President Biden is no longer involved,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) got a glimpse of the future this week when he released a 1,500-odd-page funding bill negotiated with Democrats. His weeks of work were squashed by an influx of tweets not only from Trump but his new billionaire ally Elon Musk, who stirred up conservative members with their biting critiques of the plan.
Republicans then cobbled together a bare-bones continuing resolution, which earned Trump’s blessing before falling spectacularly short on the House floor Thursday night, Lillianna Byington and Maeve Sheehey report.
- “It’s a taste of things to come,” former House member and newly elected Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said after the first deal blew up. “The House is going to be ungovernable.” Read More
Read BGOV’s Congress Tracker for our breakdown of lawmakers’ agenda and the politics driving it.
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Who’s Who in Trump’s New Silicon Valley Entourage
President-elect Donald Trump is handing out high-profile positions to some of the key Silicon Valley players who helped get him elected.
Trump Revels in Tech Titans Currying Favor at Private Dinners
The most powerful leaders in the tech industry are trying out a new playbook to engage
Biden H-1B Visa Rules Give Trump More Power to Police Fraud
New H-1B visa regulations set to take effect in January will empower government officials probing possible fraud just as the Trump administration takes control of the country’s immigration system.
Trump Threatens EU With Tariffs If It Doesn’t Buy US Oil and Gas
President-elect
Republicans Tank Trump-Backed Funding Plan
The House rejected the temporary funding plan backed by Donald Trump on Thursday by a vote of 235 to 174.
More than 30 Republicans voted with nearly all Democrats against the spending package, with just over 24 hours to go before a government shutdown.
House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said he was mystified why lawmakers would vote against a bill that “extends important protections to the American people.” But another Republican lawmaker denounced the plan before the vote, taking issue with the extension of the debt ceiling.
- “To congratulate yourself because it’s shorter in pages but increases the debt by $5 trillion is asinine,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said on the House floor. Read More
The bill would have funded the government through March 14 and suspended the debt limit until early 2027, Jack Fitzpatrick reported. The measure cut out earlier provisions to restrict US “outbound investment” in China, give members of Congress a pay raise, rein in pharmacy benefit managers, and transfer control of RFK Stadium from the federal government to Washington, D.C.
Still in that bill:
- $100.4 billion in disaster aid, plus $10 billion in economic aid for farmers
- A provision delaying Medicaid cuts to hospitals from Jan. 1 to April 1
- A freeze on $20 billion in IRS funding
- $5.7 billion for the Navy’s Virginia-class submarines
- To see additional provisions dropped from the latest bill, Read More
Latest from Trump: “Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps, 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Without this, we should never make a deal” Read More
Download the latest BGOV OnPoint, with a review of debt limit mechanics and history, the possible fallout of a US default, and political dynamics. Read More
Shutdown Disruption: A government shutdown would mean thousands of workers furloughed with most not getting paid on time. Taxpayers won’t get calls returned, there may be longer lines at airports during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, and many national parks will close. But many of the routine functions of government — things like defense, benefit checks and mail delivery — continue as usual. Read More
What Else We’re Reading
California Congress Members Sued For Israeli Military Aid Votes
US Reps. Mike Thompson (D) and Jared Huffman (D) were sued in federal court Thursday by San Francisco Bay Area constituents who alleged their votes for Israeli military aid support genocide in Gaza.
Biden to Visit Pope Francis One Last Time During Presidency
President
Steelworkers Union Says No Progress in Nippon Steel Meeting
The United Steelworkers confirms in a statement a meeting between union leadership and Nippon Steel executives didn’t yield any progress, saying the Japanese company refused to walk back plans to move production to United States Steel’s non-union plants.
Walmart Says to Miss Climate Targets as Green Challenges Mount
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