Trump, Vance demand GOP pass spending bill without Democrat giveaways: Republicans must get smart and tough

President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance demanded Wednesday that Congressional Republicans not succumb to “Democrat giveaways” by passing the current bulging spending bill on the table — likely pushing Congress closer to going back to the negotiating table to avoid a government shutdown.“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 combined with an increase in the debt ceiling.

Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” Trump and Vance wrote in a joint statement.The incoming executives slammed the provisions in the ballooned 1,500-page bill that would give Congress a raise, fund the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) — which is allegedly involved in censoring conservative speech and making “it easier to hide the records of the corrupt January 6 committee.”House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) negotiated a deal to include Democrat demands in a spending bill that would avoid a government shutdown and bypass a tight majority Congress.But some Republicans — with a push from Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — have revolted against the bill, demanding a hardline Republican approach with less spending.

Musk, one of Trump’s key confidants, went to X to directly demand Congress to “kill” the bill, arguing that any member of Congress who votes for the “outrageous” bill should be “voted out in 2 years.”Trump’s direct push will likely influence Republicans to do away with the bill and go back to the drawing board.If Congress fails to pass a spending bill, the government will shut down on Saturday.Johnson is already considering abandoning the current bill in favor of a more streamlined version, Politico reported.“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH.

If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we...