In a dramatic turn of events, the House of Representatives rejected a stopgap spending bill on Thursday night, increasing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown. The legislation, which had the backing of President-elect Donald Trump, failed to garner enough support, with 38 Republicans voting against it. The final tally was 235 against and 174 in favor, with a mere two Democrats supporting the measure.

This political wrangling comes after days of intense debate in Congress regarding government funding, with President-elect Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy adding their voices to the fray. The backdrop to this legislative battle is a burgeoning national debt exceeding $36 trillion and a national deficit of over $1.8 trillion.

While significantly shorter than its 1,547-page predecessor, the new 116-page bill extends government funding to March 14th and suspends the debt ceiling, a move advocated by Trump. It also allocates $110 billion for disaster relief and extends the farm bill. However, the inclusion of non-essential provisions sparked criticism, with some Republicans questioning the allocation of additional funds so late in the Biden administration and the lack of offsetting measures.

Representatives Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) were the only Democrats to vote in favor of the bill. Among the Republicans who voted against the bill were Representatives Aaron Bean (Fla.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Eric Burlison (Mo.), Kat Cammack (Fla.), Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), John Curtis (Utah), Jeff Duncan (S.C.), Russ Fulcher (Idaho), Bob Good (Va.), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Doug Lamborn (Colo.), Debbie Lesko (Ariz.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Rich McCormick (Ga.), Corey Mills (Fla.), Alex Mooney (W. Va.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Scott Perry (Pa.), Chip Roy (Texas), David Schweikert (Ariz.), Keith Self (Texas), Victoria Spartz (Ind.), Tom Tiffany (Wis.), and Beth Van Duyne (Texas).