House GOP leaders appear to be searching for a replacement plan after an initial bipartisan agreement to avoid a partial government shutdown sank in an avalanche of conservative opposition on Friday.

The law angered conservatives in both the House and Senate – and also angered President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint Elon Musk as co-chair of his Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE).

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

The bill was expected to be voted on sometime Wednesday afternoon, but a scheduled late afternoon vote was canceled. Instead, senior Republicans are huddling in the speaker’s office to plot a path forward, less than 24 hours after the legislation was unveiled.

DANIEL PENNY IS WON FOR THE CONGRESS GOLD MEDAL

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, told reporters as she left Johnson’s office earlier in the evening: “There will probably be a new CR tomorrow. They are currently negotiating. But there will be no votes tonight.”

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told reporters a short time later that he expected a “skinny” CR without disaster relief or farm subsidies.

This came after Republican critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson’s handling of the issue.

The 1,547-page bill is a short-term extension of state funding amounts for fiscal year (FY) 2024 and is intended to give lawmakers more time to agree on funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2025 by Friday.

It is the second such extension, known as a “continuous resolution” (CR), since fiscal year 2024 ended on September 30.

In addition to funding the government through March 14, the bill also includes more than $100 billion in disaster relief to help Americans affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also includes $10 billion in additional economic relief for farmers, as well as health care reform measures and a provision to revitalize RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., and its surrounding campuses.

Members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus said they felt blindsided because something they felt was unrelated was added to the bill in last-minute negotiations.

Several GOP lawmakers who were granted anonymity to speak freely said Johnson will face challenges to his candidacy for speaker on the issue in early January.

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

“When we begin the new Congress in January, with Republicans in control, we will be able to reduce the size and scope of government. But before we get to that point, remember that we only control half right now.” “Remember that the Democrats are still in charge in the Senate and the White House,” he said.

REPUBLICANS PROVIDE DETAILS OF MEETINGS WITH DOGE DUO

Among the opponents of the law is Elon Musk, who…

He later called on Republicans to bring about a partial government shutdown: “Shutting down the government (which, by the way, doesn’t actually close critical functions) is infinitely better than passing a terrible bill.”

Meanwhile, Trump and Vance urged Republicans to reject the deal and instead opt for a CR paired with an increase in the US debt limit – which was suspended until January 2025.

“Raising the debt ceiling isn’t great, but we’d rather do it under Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they will in June while we’re in office? Let’s have this debate now.” “And we should pass a simplified spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want,” the statement said.

But simply kowtowing to his right flank may not get Johnson out of trouble, as Democrats are warning him not to abandon their deal.

“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And they hurt the working-class Americans they claim to support. If you break the bipartisan agreement, you will be responsible for the consequences that follow,” wrote House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, R-N.Y.

Given his slim majority in the House of Representatives and widespread opposition to short-term funding extensions within the Republican Party, it was always likely that Johnson would need Democrats’ help to pass a CR.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

But it’s not clear whether the number of Democrats willing to break ranks will offset Republican opposition.

House leaders must also decide whether or not to subject the bill to regular action — which includes a vote in the House Rules Committee, followed by a procedural vote in the full House before lawmakers can comment on the measure themselves They want to get around this and rush the bill into the lower house in return for raising the hurdle for passage to two-thirds instead of a simple majority.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking until the deadline for a partial government shutdown at the end of Friday.