Scaled-Back Spending Bill Has No Trade Text
After Elon Musk whipped up opposition to the spending bill, and President-elect Donald Trump came out against it, the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives issued a slimmed down spending bill that cut out trade issues, such as renewing the Haiti trade preferences through 2030, and creating outbound investment restrictions for China. The bill, which would fund the government at current levels through mid-March, also raises the debt ceiling for two years.
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The House had a vote on the bill in the evening Dec. 19 that failed 174-235, with one Democrat voting present. Given the number of Republican defections, it seems unlikely the chamber could try again with this version. It's unclear if they will try again with the previous CR, or try to write a new spending bill with Democratic buy-in. If Congress can't pass a spending bill by the end of Friday, the government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 21.