House GOP leaders scramble for Plan B after Trump, Musk lead conservative fury against spending bill

House GOP leaders appear to be searching for a backup plan after an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown on Friday was buried in an avalanche of conservative opposition.

The legislation angered hardline conservatives in both the House and Senate – as well as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.

As Musk called for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats, Trump’s presidential transition team released an official joint statement by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance opposing the initial iteration of the deal.

Members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus said they felt blindsided by what they saw as unrelated policy riders being added to the bill in last-minute negotiations.

The bill was expected to get a vote sometime on Wednesday afternoon, but planned late afternoon votes were canceled that day.

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Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Elon Musk are at odds over a government spending bill. (Jean Catuffe/GC Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The 1,547-page bill is a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding levels, aimed at giving lawmakers more time to agree on funding the rest of FY 2025 by the Friday deadline.

It’s the second such extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30.

In addition to funding the government through March 14, the bill also has more than $100 billion in disaster aid to help Americans affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also includes an added $10 billion in economic relief for farmers, as well as health care reform measures and a provision aimed at revitalizing Washington, D.C.’s RFK stadium and its surrounding campus.

Johnson defended the deal on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning.

“When we start the new Congress in January, when Republicans are in control…we’re going to be able to scale back the size and scope of government. But before we get to that point, remember right now, we only control one half of one third of the federal government. Remember, Democrats are still in charge of the Senate and the White House. So what we’ve done is the conservative play call here,” he said.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. praised the bill. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also praised the CR.

“I am pleased these negotiations led to a bipartisan government funding agreement free of cuts and poison pills, while also securing Democratic priorities like millions for child care, workforce training and job placement, assistance for the Key Bridge rebuild, additional disaster relief funding and more,” he said.

Opponents of the legislation include Elon Musk, who posted on X, “Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?”