The Biden administration slammed President-elect Donald Trump and House Republicans on Wednesday night for torpedoing a bipartisan spending plan heralded by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as a midnight Friday deadline looms to prevent a partial government shutdown.
Criticism of the 1,547-page spending package built steadily throughout the day and culminated with a lengthy statement from Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance posted late in the afternoon on Vance's X account. It has forced Johnson back to the drawing board on a plan to prevent a Christmastime shutdown, The Washington Post reported.
"Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement or they will hurt hardworking Americans and create instability across the country," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a news release. "President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance ordered Republicans to shut down the government and they are threatening to do just that — while undermining communities recovering from disasters, farmers and ranchers, and community health centers.
"Triggering a damaging government shutdown would hurt families who are gathering to meet with their loved ones and endanger the basic services Americans from veterans to Social Security recipients rely on. A deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word."