Hours after President-Elect Donald Trump endorsed a new bill to fund the government, the House of Representatives took the first of multiple expected votes on the bill.
The House first voted on whether to suspend the rules to pass the bill, the American Relief Act of 2025. That vote failed, 174 to 235, with both Republicans and Democrats voting against it.
The vote required two-thirds to pass. Most Republicans (172) voted for the bill, while most Democrats (197) voted against it. Only two Democrats bucked their party in supporting the bill, while 38 Republicans voted against it. One Democrat voted “present,” and 20 House members failed to vote before the clerk called the vote.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., announced there would be no more votes on the legislation Thursday night, though another vote may come on Friday morning.
President-Elect Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he supports the newly released bill, which would keep the government funding, fund farmers, and provide relief to those harmed by the hurricanes.
“Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American people,” the president-elect said. “The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely impacted by the devastating hurricanes.”
The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025.
The bill pushes the date of the debt ceiling out two years to Jan. 30, 2027, allowing more borrowing for two years.
“Now we can Make America Great Again, very quickly, which is what the People gave us a mandate to accomplish.”
The president-elect urged Republicans and Democrats alike to vote “yes” on the bill tonight.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, said “hell no” to the deal.
“The Musk-Johnson proposal is not serious. It’s laughable. Extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us to a government shutdown,” he told reporters.
Some members of the House Freedom Caucus have said they will not support the bill because of the two-year suspension of the debt ceiling.
Rep. John James, R-Mich., praised Trump for cutting the bill down to 116 pages from 1,500.
