Donald Trump reiterated his call for a suspension – or even abolition – of the federal borrowing cap, continuing a political crisis that threatens a U.S. government shutdown at midnight Friday.

In an early morning post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said: “Congress needs to abolish the ridiculous debt ceiling, or perhaps extend it to 2029.” Without that, we should never make a deal. Remember: the pressure is on whoever is president.”

How unusual are government shutdowns in the US?

Robert Tait

In the first 200 years of the USA’s existence, this did not happen at all. In recent decades, they have become an increasingly integral part of the political landscape as politics in Washington have become increasingly polarized and risky action has become an everyday political tool. There have been 20 federal funding gaps since 1976, when the U.S. first pushed back the start of its fiscal year to Oct. 1.

Three shutdowns in particular have entered US political lore:

A 21-day partial shutdown in 1995 over a dispute over spending cuts between presidents Bill Clinton and the Republican speaker, Newt Gingrichwhich is widely seen as setting the tone for later partisan political disputes in Congress.

In 2013, the government was partially shut down for 16 days after another Republican-led Congress tried to use budget negotiations to cut funding Barack ObamaThe signature Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare.

A 34-day shutdown, the longest on record, lasted from December 2018 to January 2019 Donald Trump refused to sign a budget proposal that did not include $5.7 billion in funding for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. The shutdown damaged Trump’s poll numbers.

What happens if there is a US government shutdown?

Robert Tait

Here are a few more details about what happens if the US government shuts down:

Thousands of government employees are being furloughed, meaning they are not supposed to report to work and will not be paid for the duration of the lockdown, although their salaries will be paid retroactively once the lockdown ends.

Other government workers deemed essential services, such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers, will continue to work but will not be paid until Congress votes to end the shutdown.

Depending on how long it takes, national parks may either close entirely or reopen without certain vital services such as public toilets or attendants. Passport processing may stop, as may research – in national health institutes.

Federal inspections to ensure food safety and prevent the release of hazardous substances into drinking water could be suspended for the duration of the closure.

About 10,000 children ages 3 and 4 may also lose access to Head Start, a federally funded program designed to promote school readiness for young children, particularly those in low-income families.

David Smith

Before the vote, Democrats and Republicans warned that the other party would be to blame if Congress allowed the government to shut down.

Mike JohnsonRepublican House Speaker, told reporters that the package would avoid disruption, resolve outstanding issues and make it easier for Congress to cut spending by hundreds of billions of dollars when Trump takes office next year. “The government is too big, it does too many things and it only does a few things well,” he said.

But Democrats rejected the bill as a cover for a budget-busting tax cut that would primarily benefit wealthy backers like Musk, the world’s richest man, while burdening the country with trillions of dollars in additional debt.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said during the plenary debate: “How dare you ever lecture America about fiscal responsibility?”

Jamie Raskina Democratic congressman, told reporters: “So who should our leader Hakeem Jeffries negotiate with? Is it Mike Johnson? Is he the Speaker of the House of Representatives? Or is it Donald Trump? Or is it Elon Musk? Or is it someone else?”

Some Republicans objected that the bill would pave the way for more debt without reducing spending. Congressman Chip Roy said: “I am absolutely disgusted by the party that advocates for fiscal responsibility.”

David Smith

Critics of the new Trump administration described the collapse as a first taste of the chaos to come when Trump returns to the White House on January 20. Musk’s intervention via a barrage of tweets on his social media platform X was derided by Democrats as the work of “President Musk.”

“The Musk-Johnson proposal is not serious,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. “It’s ridiculous. Extreme MAGA Republicans are pushing us toward a government shutdown.”

Despite Trump’s support, 38 Republicans and nearly all Democrats voted against the new package, ensuring it failed to reach the two-thirds threshold needed for passage and leaving next steps uncertain.

The resistance within Trump’s own party surprised many.

The latest bill would have extended federal funding into March, when Trump will be in the White House and Republicans will control both chambers of Congress. It would also have provided $100 billion in disaster relief and suspended debt. Republicans dropped other elements included in the original package, such as a pay raise for members of Congress and new rules for pharmacy benefit managers.

At Trump’s urging, the new version would also have suspended federal debt caps for two years – a move that would make it easier to pass the dramatic tax cuts he promised and set the stage for the federal government’s debt to rise of 36 trillion US dollars continue to climb.

Good morning, US Politics readers. The U.S. government is facing a shutdown after the House of Representatives late Thursday rejected a bill that would have made a temporary funding agreement just before a crucial deadline.

By a vote of 174-235, the House rejected a Trump-backed package hastily put together by Republican leaders after the president-elect and his billionaire ally Elon Musk scuttled a previous bipartisan agreement.

Now lawmakers must make a last-minute effort to strike a new deal before Friday night’s deadline or all non-essential government functions will be suspended.

Thousands of federal government employees would be furloughed, meaning they will not report to work and will not receive wages for the duration of the lockdown, although their salaries will be paid retroactively once the lockdown ends.

Other government workers deemed essential services, such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers, will continue to work but will not be paid until Congress votes to end the shutdown.

A shutdown just before the holiday season reaches its peak could be catastrophic for millions of Americans.