Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that Republicans should not fear a government shutdown as the deadline to pass a funding bill quickly approaches. In a post on X, Gingrich said the next election is two years away and that Republicans won a majority despite two shutdowns in 1995.
President Trump and Republicans should not be afraid of a government shutdown. The next election is two years away . We had two shutdowns in 1995 and became the first reelected house gop majority since 1928. It may take shock therapy for schumer and democrats to learn President…
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) December 19, 2024
The 1,500 page continuing resolution which contained dozens of non-spending related policy provisions was killed the night of Wednesday, Dec. 18, with a joint statement from President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance.
“Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS.”
A statement from President Donald J. Trump and Vice President-Elect JD Vance:
— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 18, 2024
The most foolish and inept thing ever done by Congressional Republicans was allowing our country to hit the debt ceiling in 2025. It was a mistake and is now something that must be addressed.…
There are Republicans on Capitol Hill who believe it’s better to do nothing rather than something that is perceived as flawed.
“If we didn’t do anything, that would be a good thing, as you know, because Americans are pretty resilient, and they figure out a way to maintain,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Straight Arrow News. “But as far as I wish we could just stop some spending.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said she supports a government shutdown.
“I’m all in,” Green said in response to Gingrich. “The government can shut down all the way until Jan 20th as far as I’m concerned.”
Democrats said if the government shuts down, it’s Republicans’ fault.
“This reckless Republican driven shutdown can be avoided if House Republicans will simply do what is right for the American people and stick with the bipartisan agreement that they themselves negotiated,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters.
One of the key sticking points is disaster relief aid. Congress needs to approve the funds to rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, in addition to other natural disasters. If there’s a clean continuing resolution, meaning the government is funded at its current levels without any add-ons, that would preclude disaster relief. Money for storm victims would have to be approved separately.
