Government shutdown live updates: House passes stop-gap funding bill, sends to Senate

The federal government is set to run out of money Friday night.

ByIvan Pereira, Lauren Peller, and Mary Bruce, ABC News KABC logo
Last updated: Saturday, December 21, 2024 12:34AM GMT
Government shutdown: House passes funding bill, sends to Senate
The House of Representatives has passed a funding bill to avert a federal shutdown. The bill, which funds the government until March, will head to the Senate.

WASHINGTON -- Republican congressional leaders Thursday night failed to pass a revamped plan to avoid a government shutdown looming Friday night -- and to satisfy President-elect Donald Trump's explosive demand that the debt limit be raised, or eliminated, at the same time.

Thousands of federal workers could have to work without pay, others could be furloughed and many government services could be affected.

Democrats say Republicans will own the consequences since Trump and his ally Elon Musk blew up a funding deal GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson had proposed.

ByJohn Parkinson and Lauren Peller ABCNews logo
Dec 20, 2024, 10:06 PM

What's included in the new bill

The new legislation is a short-term extension that funds government through March 14, 2025.

It does not address the debt limit in the legislative text, which was a key demand from President-elect Donald Trump.

It also includes $100 billion for disaster aid; $30 billion for farmers; and a one-year extension of the farm bill.

ByJohn Parkinson ABCNews logo
Dec 20, 2024, 11:11 PM GMT

Voting formally ends, Democrats vote yes

With an overwhelming bipartisan majority, Republicans and Democrats came together Friday evening to pass a short-term spending bill to keep the government open through March 14.

The final vote was 366-34-1, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority threshold needed for passage under suspension of the rules.

No Democrats voted against the measure, while 34 Republicans voted against it. One Democrat voted "present."

The bill now heads to the Senate with about six hours left before tonight's deadline.

ByMolly Nagle ABCNews logo
Dec 20, 2024, 11:08 PM GMT

Biden supports funding bill

President Joe Biden has thrown his support for the funding bill that is being voted on by the House, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The president "supports moving this legislation forward and ensuring that the vital services the government provides for hardworking Americans -- from issuing Social Security checks to processing benefits for veterans -- can continue as well as to grant assistance for communities that were impacted by devastating hurricanes," she said in a statement.

Jean-Pierre added that while the bill "does not include everything we sought," it does keep the government running, get aid to those still recovering from disasters earlier this year and " eliminates the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires."

She slammed President-elect Donald Trump for causing the last-minute scramble.

"Following an order by President-elect Trump, yesterday Republicans walked away from a bipartisan deal and threatened to shut down the government at the 11th hour in order to pave the way to provide tax breaks for billionaires. This revised legislation does not do that," she said.

ABCNews logo
Dec 20, 2024, 11:02 PM GMT

House passes two-thirds threshold on bill to avert government shutdown

The House of Representatives passed the two-thirds majority to pass the funding bill to avert a federal shutdown tonight. The bill, which funds the government until March, will head to the Senate.

ByClaire Brinberg ABCNews logo
Dec 20, 2024, 11:01 PM GMT

Musk endorses funding deal

Billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk posted a statement on X that he supports the current funding deal that is being voted on.

"The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances. It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces. Ball should now be in the Dem court," said Musk, who threatened GOP members two days ago.