Why Trump wants Congress to abolish the debt ceiling

Washington — President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk blew up a GOP-backed deal to fund federal agencies into March, raising the pressure on Republican congressional leaders to craft a plan to avert a government shutdown just before the holidays.  In a statement Wednesday, Trump and Vance lambasted the agreement for

Trump shakes up spending talks with call to eliminate debt ceiling

In a move that has stunned Washington, President-elect Donald Trump is now urging Congress to eliminate the debt ceiling, dramatically shaking up talks among lawmakers, who are at an impasse over federal spending and government funding, which is scheduled to lapse this weekend.  While some on Capitol Hill have balked at Trump’s latest demand, the

How a U.S. government shutdown could impact your benefits and services

With a federal spending bill now scrapped, the U.S. faces a possible government shutdown that could begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, when current funding is set to lapse. That raises questions about what types of services and payments could be impacted just days before the holidays.  A looming shutdown stems from controversy over

How Trump and Elon Musk derailed bipartisan plans for a funding bill

President-elect Donald Trump delivered a likely death blow to bipartisan congressional budget negotiations, rejecting the measure as full of giveaways to Democrats after billionaire ally Elon Musk whipped up outrage toward the bill and cheered on Republican lawmakers who announced their opposition. Trump’s joint statement Wednesday with Vice President-elect JD Vance stopped the bill in

Shutdown looms after House GOP turns against spending bill

Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson scrapped a last-minute measure to avoid a government shutdown after facing opposition from fellow Republicans — including President-elect Donald Trump — who objected to billions of dollars in spending that had been added to the bill. Lawmakers are facing a Friday deadline to approve new spending. The measure released Tuesday