The House of Representatives narrowly passed a stop-gap spending bill to keep the government open with only hours to spare. The bill will now go to the Senate for approval before reaching the president for his signature. While the term “government shutdown” is often used, much of the government would remain open even if the bill didn’t pass on time, with only essential workers’ paychecks being delayed. The House vote was 366 to 34, with Alaska’s Rep. Mary Peltola voting in favor of the bill, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass.
The bill was significantly reduced from over 1,500 pages to 118 pages and did not include a debt limit increase requested by President Donald Trump. Public pressure on lawmakers, particularly from social media, played a role in shaping the final bill that was passed. Democrats in the House expressed frustration over the influence of Elon Musk, who owns X, in the legislative process. The bill saw significant changes from its original form to the final version that was approved by the House on December 20, 2024.
The impact of the bill’s passage, the evolving situation in Congress, and the influence of social media on the political process are ongoing developments that will continue to be updated as the story unfolds.
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Photo credit mustreadalaska.com
