Staff Reports
House Republicans are in the doghouse after a hastily cobbled-together deal crashed and burned faster than a school bus on a slick road. Negotiations, which dragged on throughout the day, brought together divergent factions of the House Republican Conference and the team of the incoming President, Donald Trump. What emerged was a deal that was shot down with a resounding 174 votes against and just 236 in favor, leaving one member voting present and 20 more opting out like they had a prior engagement.
The spectacle became even more surprising when a staggering 38 Republicans decided to side with the Democrats and cast their votes against what was supposed to be a Trump-backed compromise. To add to the fun, an additional nine Republicans decided to skip the drama altogether. With Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance swooping in to make their presence felt, they aimed to bury the previous deal negotiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Democrats—one that had already started to unravel faster than a cheap sweater.
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Per CNN
House GOP spending plan expected to fail as conservative Republicans revolt and Democrats strongly oppose pic.twitter.com/RaPYZxJjdk
— Ⓜ️Ⓜ️ Lauren Ashley Davis – OG Meidas Might 🇺🇲🦅 (@Meidas_LaurenA) December 19, 2024
In a twist that could only be called dramatic, the new deal trimmed the fat, removing over a thousand pages of government spending nonsense that had nothing to do with keeping the lights on in Washington. Unfortunately, this fresh attempt at Republican unity garnered the backing of only two Democrats, with one opting for “present” and eleven taking a nap in the back row. Johnson decided to expedite matters by bringing the bill to the floor under suspension of the rules, which meant it needed a two-thirds majority to pass. Spoiler alert: it didn’t even come close.
The wave of dissent surprised many observers simply because it’s not every day that a significant number of Republicans break ranks with Trump’s wishes. The theory making the rounds suggests that many of the GOP rebels were not just rejecting the deal but also signaling their dissatisfaction with Johnson’s leadership style.
As the clock ticks down to a hard deadline for passing a spending bill, Republicans are at a crossroads. Not only must they figure out how to fund the government, but they also need to decide who will lead them through the murky waters ahead. Trump’s involvement has only complicated matters further, as a failure to rally support behind his proposed legislation might turn into a confidence crisis for Johnson and ultimately jeopardize his hold on the speaker position. With elections looming on January 3, 2025, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
As the Republican leaders convene to strategize, they’re faced with tricky questions that require quick answers. With dissent brewing among their ranks and the looming deadline, the GOP shows signs of an implosion that might be the stuff of political dramas for ages. The time for action is now—or risk getting left behind as Trump gears up to take the reins.
