The House has passed a bill to avert a partial government shutdown on Friday, hours before the midnight federal funding deadline. 

The bill, which needed approval from two-thirds of the chamber, passed overwhelmingly in a 366 to 34 vote. 

All Democrats voted for the bill save for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who voted "present."

Lawmakers were scrambling for a path forward after an initial bill was tanked by President-elect Trump and his allies on Wednesday, and a later bill approved by Trump failed on the House floor Thursday.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

But Trump has stayed noticeably silent on this latest measure – which many House Republicans saw as a tacit sign of approval.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was optimistic after days of uncertainty, telling reporters there would be a House-wide vote Friday when leaving a closed-door House GOP meeting where leaders presented their plan.

"We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for the disaster victims all over the country and for making sure that military and essential services and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays," Johnson said. 

Meanwhile, the national debt has climbed past $36 trillion, and the deficit is over $1.8 trillion.

The legislation, if passed in the Senate, would extend current government funding levels through mid-March, a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR), paired with just over $100 billion in disaster relief aid for victims of storms Helene and Milton, as well as assistance for the agriculture industry.

Johnson bypassed regular House procedures to get the legislation straight to a chamber-wide vote, a maneuver known as "suspension of the rules."

In exchange for the fast track, however, the threshold for passage was raised from a simple majority to two-thirds of the House chamber, meaning Democratic support is critical.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told reporters he believed Johnson struck an agreement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. A longtime Johnson critic, Massie said he would not vote for the bill.

"Trump wanted a debt limit increase, and now we're bringing the exact same bill to the floor without the debt limit increase," Massie said.

Another Republican lawmaker argued Johnson would not move forward without Trump's blessing.

"We wouldn't do it if they weren't," Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., said when asked if Trump and Elon Musk were supportive of the deal.

Trump and Musk led the conservative rebellion against the initial plan to avert a partial shutdown, a bipartisan deal that came from negotiations between the top two Democrats and Republicans in both Congressional chambers.

That bill, 1,547 pages, would have extended current government funding levels until March 14. However, GOP hardliners were angered by what they saw as unrelated measures attached to the bill, like a pay raise for congressional lawmakers, health care policy provisions and legislation aimed at revitalizing RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS

It was scrapped as Trump and Musk threatened to force out of office any lawmaker who did not support pairing a CR with action on the debt limit.

The debt limit is suspended until January 2025 through a prior bipartisan deal, but Trump had pushed for Republicans to act on it now to avoid a messy, protracted fight early in his term.

The second iteration of the funding deal was much slimmer, coming in at 116 pages. It excluded the stadium bill and the congressional pay raise, but still included measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and disaster aid funding. It also suspended the debt limit through January 2027.

A House vote on the second plan went down in flames, however, after 38 Republicans opposed to raising or suspending the debt limit voted with all but two Democrats to defeat the bill.

Johnson huddled with those holdouts Friday morning, along with Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, and Vice President-elect JD Vance. 

The bill that passed the House on Friday does not act on the debt limit, but Johnson pledged in that closed-door meeting to raise the debt limit early next year as part of Republicans' plans for a massive policy and spending overhaul.

During their closed-door meeting Friday, House GOP leaders unveiled their CR plan as well as a plan to raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, followed by $2.5 trillion in net spending cuts, multiple people told Fox News Digital.

Democrats who left their own closed-door meeting shortly before the vote largely said they would support the bill – which they did.

President Biden has said he would sign it into law if it reaches his desk after a Senate vote.

• House lawmakers voted to avoid a federal government shutdown on Friday.
• The Senate passed the stopgap funding bill minutes after the midnight deadline passed.
• The vote caps a week full of drama on Capitol Hill.

President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill on Saturday that prevents a government shutdown. Senate lawmakers passed the bill minutes after the Saturday midnight deadline passed.

Earlier on Friday, House lawmakers voted 366 to 34 for the bill, with one Democratic lawmaker voting present. House Democrats provided significant cover for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who lost 34 Republicans on the measure.

The White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement on Friday that it had ceased shutdown preparations.

Trump downplayed the stakes of a shutdown, but it likely would have affected the transition of power and some planning for his inauguration.

Now that the bill has been signed into law, government funding will run through March 14, giving President-elect Donald Trump a little breathing room once he retakes office next month.

Republicans denied Trump's request to suspend or even eliminate the debt ceiling, which would have resolved a thorny political issue in advance of a likely GOP effort to extend Trump's 2017 tax law. According to Punchbowl News, Johnson said Republicans have agreed to address the nation's borrowing limit next year when the GOP will retake entire control over Washington.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his fellow Democrats ultimately backed a deal stripped of many of the incentives initially included to garner more support among his party.

Elon Musk and other conservative activists opposed the initial bipartisan bill earlier this week, effectively killing it. Trump then urged Republicans to pass a pared-down funding bill and an extension of the debt ceiling. On Thursday night, 38 House Republicans and nearly every House Democrat voted against that plan, raising the stakes as a shutdown approached.

"The last 72 hours highlighted the positive impact that DOGE can have, but it also laid bare the massive lift ahead next year," Vivek Ramaswamy, who will co-lead Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency" with Musk wrote on X, "We're Ready for It."

Musk also announced his support of the legislation before its passage. Johnson told reporters he had a brief conversation with him.

"The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances," Musk wrote on X. "It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces. Ball should now be in the Dem court."

The episode illustrated that significant divisions remain among Republican lawmakers that even Trump can struggle to paper over. Trump has ambitious plans for his second term, including the potential of using a special procedural power known as reconciliation to ram through tax extensions and border security measures. He'll only be successful if the GOP can remain almost entirely united.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre volleyed away reporters’ questions on Friday about President Biden’s lack of public appearances amid the ongoing government funding fight as a partial shutdown looms. 

Jean-Pierre refused to answer why the president has not spoken to the American public about his position, and she instead blamed Republicans, President-elect Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and their "billionaire friends" like Elon Musk for the chaos on Capitol Hill. 

"Why hasn’t President Biden said anything in the public about this? Don't the American people deserve to know why millions of federal workers could enter this holiday period without a paycheck?" Jean-Pierre was asked during her daily press briefing. 

RAND PAUL SUGGESTS REPLACING MIKE JOHNSON WITH ELON MUSK AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

"All Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way here and they are the ones who have created this mess. That's the reality. That's the fact," she responded. "This is not the first time we've been here. And the president has had this approach before. He understands how Congress works. He's been around for some time. He understands what strategy works here to get this done."

Jean-Pierre said Friday that Biden has held phone calls with Democratic leaders in Congress — Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — but would not say if the president has spoken to the House speaker with regard to the ongoing discussions. 

"He has been getting regular updates from his team. His team has been in touch with congressional members from both sides of the aisle," she said. 

A streamlined version of a bill backed by Trump to avert a partial government shutdown failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night.

The bill, which needed two-thirds of the House chamber to pass, failed by a vote of 174 to 235. The national debt has soared to over $36 trillion, and the national deficit is over $1.8 trillion.

Jean-Pierre said Republicans went back on their word and "blew up this deal."

"Republicans need to stop playing politics with a government shutdown. And they are doing the bidding. They're doing the bidding of their billionaire friends. That's what we're seeing at the expense of hard-working Americans," she said. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN

"There is a bipartisan agreement that Republicans tanked because of what they were directed to do by Elon Musk and President-elect Trump. That's what happened. That is the reality that we're in now."

Musk, an outspoken critic of government waste, has weighed in on the spending bill debate and led a conservative revolt against the first 1,547-page bill due to its bloated spending provisions, calling for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats.

He supported the newer, slimmer version, which was ultimately rejected by House members. 

Reporters tried several different ways to try and get Jean-Pierre to comment on the president’s role in the matter, but she continued to sidestep.

"The president is the President of the United States, and he is leading," she told a reporter, to which he responded: "To be clear, the strategy is he is leading by staying in the background?"

"The strategy is that Congress, Republicans in particular, need to do their jobs and get out of their own way and focus on the American people, not their billionaire friends. That is what needs to happen. And that's what the president wants to see," she replied.

Jean-Pierre also warned that a shutdown could disrupt the presidential transition process for the incoming administration.

"If there is a shutdown — and I don't want to get too much into hypotheticals — but this is the reality, transition activities will be restricted with limited exceptions, obviously, such as to prevent imminent threats to the safety of human life or the protection of property," she said.

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Friday that Republicans have a "good plan" to avoid a partial government shutdown. 

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., added: "I think you come to an agreement, then you get together and sit down and figure out, you know, if we can get across the finish line. And that's probably what we're about to do now."

House lawmakers will soon vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown after a similar measure backed by President-elect Trump failed Thursday.

Congress is scrambling for a path forward as the clock ticks closer to the federal funding deadline, with a partial shutdown expected at 12:01 a.m. Saturday if no action is taken.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested there would be a House-wide vote Friday when leaving a closed-door House GOP meeting where leaders presented their plan.

"I expect that we will be proceeding forward," Johnson said. "We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for the disaster victims all over the country and for making sure that military and essential services and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays."

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Meanwhile, the national debt has climbed past $36 trillion, and the deficit is over $1.8 trillion.

Multiple lawmakers told Fox News Digital the forthcoming legislation would extend current government funding levels through mid-March, a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR), paired with just over $100 billion in disaster relief aid for victims of storms Helene and Milton, as well as assistance for the agriculture industry.

Johnson's aim is to bypass regular House procedures to get the legislation straight to a chamber-wide vote, a maneuver known as "suspension of the rules."

In exchange for the fast track, however, the threshold for passage is raised from a simple majority to two-thirds of the House chamber, meaning Democratic support is critical.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told reporters he believed Johnson struck an agreement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. A longtime Johnson critic, Massie said he would not vote for the bill.

"Trump wanted a debt limit increase, and now we're bringing the exact same bill to the floor without the debt limit increase," Massie said.

Another Republican lawmaker argued Johnson would not move forward without Trump's blessing.

"We wouldn't do it if they weren't," Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., said when asked if Trump and Elon Musk were supportive of the deal.

Trump and Musk led the conservative rebellion against the initial plan to avert a partial shutdown, a bipartisan deal that came from negotiations between the top two Democrats and Republicans in both Congressional chambers.

That bill, 1,547 pages, would have extended current government funding levels until March 14. However, GOP hardliners were angered by what they saw as unrelated measures attached to the bill, like a pay raise for congressional lawmakers, health care policy provisions and legislation aimed at revitalizing RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS

It was scrapped as Trump and Musk threatened to force out of office any lawmaker who did not support pairing a CR with action on the debt limit.

The debt limit is suspended until January 2025 through a prior bipartisan deal, but Trump had pushed for Republicans to act on it now to avoid a messy, protracted fight early in his term.

The second iteration of the funding deal was much slimmer, coming in at 116 pages. It excluded the stadium bill and the congressional pay raise, but still included measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and disaster aid funding. It also suspended the debt limit through January 2027.

A House vote on the second plan went down in flames, however, after 38 Republicans opposed to raising or suspending the debt limit voted with all but two Democrats to defeat the bill.

Johnson huddled with those holdouts Friday morning, along with Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, and Vice President-elect JD Vance. 

The latest plan that's expected to get a vote does not act on the debt limit, but Johnson pledged in that closed-door meeting to raise the debt limit early next year as part of Republicans' plans for a massive policy and spending overhaul.

During their closed-door meeting Friday, House GOP leaders unveiled their CR plan as well as a plan to raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, followed by $2.5 trillion in net spending cuts, multiple people told Fox News Digital.

It's still not clear if the bill will sway all the 38 holdouts, however. Many had advocated for a plan to separate the CR from disaster relief and agricultural aid to vote on "single-subject" bills.

But with a partial government shutdown looming just hours away, it appeared House leaders were running out of time to get that done by the end of Friday.

The chaotic collapse of the continuing resolution spending bill is putting House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., leadership under the spotlight and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has floated the idea of replacing him with Elon Musk, President-elect Trump's pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Paul took to Musk’s X on Thursday morning to pitch the idea of the tech billionaire taking the House speaker’s gavel, noting that the speaker does not need to be a sitting member of Congress.

"The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress… Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk… think about it... nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds)," wrote Paul, a staunchly libertarian conservative on fiscal matters.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS SCRAMBLE FOR PLAN B AFTER TRUMP, MUSK LEAD CONSERVATIVE FURY AGAINST SPENDING BILL

Musk, an outspoken critic of government waste, has weighed in on the spending bill debate and led a conservative revolt against the latest plan due to its bloated spending provisions — calling for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats.

"Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!" Musk wrote on X. The legislation has angered conservatives, including President-elect Trump who also called for it to be scrapped. 

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., confirmed to reporters that the deal was dead while leaving the Capitol on Wednesday night. It came after GOP critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson's handling of the issue.

It's unclear if Paul was serious in his suggestion or if the post was made with tongue-in-cheek.

Democratic political strategist Jimmy Williams balked at the idea.

"Senators should stick to Senating and House Members should stick to their Chamber," Williams wrote on X. "No House Member gives a damn what a Senator thinks about who should be Speaker."

However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., backed the idea.

"I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House," Greene wrote on X, replying to Paul. "DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency. The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way."

Johnson ascended to the speakership after former House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted late last year in a move initiated by eight Republican rebels, becoming the first House speaker to be voted out of the position in U.S. history.

'SHELL SHOCKED' KEVIN MCCARTHY WILL NOT RUN FOR HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN FOLLOWING REMOVAL

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D- N.Y., said last week that no Democrats will vote for Johnson on Jan. 3 when his leadership is scheduled to be voted on.

With Republicans set to hold a four-seat majority, Johnson retaining the gavel is not guaranteed.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Wednesday that he won’t vote for Johnson, barring a "Christmas miracle." Earlier this year, Massie supported Greene in pushing to remove Johnson from the speakership, but the vast majority of members in both parties ultimately voted to spike the ouster effort. 

With Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., saying she will no longer caucus with Republicans while remaining a registered Republican, that may reduce Johnson's support to a single vote.

Paul is not the only senator to weigh in on Johnson’s leadership.

On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, took aim at the House speaker for the chaotic situation playing out on Capitol Hill and suggested change.

"It's ridiculous. It's a horrible plan. I can't believe that Republican leadership ever cooked it up," Hawley told "Hannity."

"Clearly, they didn't talk to Trump about it, and I tell you what, we need to have a serious look at who's leading this Congress because if this is the best they could do, I mean, it's just it's total incompetence, this is a disaster."

Hawley said the latest plan would saddle the incoming administration with a "terrible spending bill" and it would need to be revisited again in March.

"Under this bill, they'd shut the government down again, have to do this all over again, have to raise the debt ceiling again later, the same year," he said.

"This bill right here would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit, and the worst part is, it is all for Dem priorities."

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has declared that he will not vote for House Speaker Mike Johnson to retain the speakership next year.

"He does not have my vote," Massie told CNN's Manu Raju. Asked whether he would change his mind, Massie said that would require "a Christmas miracle."

Earlier this year Massie supported Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in pushing to remove Johnson from the speakership, but the vast majority of members in both parties ultimately voted to spike the ouster effort. 

JOHNSON HIT WITH POSSIBLE SPEAKERSHIP RIVALS AS CONSERVATIVES REBEL OVER GOVERNMENT FUNDING PLAN

"It’s a new paradigm in Congress. Nancy Pelosi, and most republicans voted to keep Uniparty Speaker Mike Johnson," Massie tweeted at the time.

This week Johnson had advocated in favor of a more than 1,500-page government spending measure that would have averted the looming prospect of a partial government shutdown. 

During a Wednesday interview on "Fox & Friends" Johnson said that the spending measure would kick the government funding issue until March when Republicans will have control of Congress and the White House, enabling the GOP to "decide spending for 2025."

The measure also included disaster relief funding as well as aid related to farmers.

"Disaster aid and Farm aid is not ‘Pork’. It’s called governing. That’s what we were all ELECTED to do," Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., declared in a post on X.

But conservatives savaged the proposal and Elon Musk spoke out against it.

President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance also weighed in. In a statement, they called for passage of "a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want."

"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…" they said in the statement.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS SCRAMBLE FOR PLAN B AFTER TRUMP, MUSK LEAD CONSERVATIVE FURY AGAINST SPENDING BILL

Massie mocked Johnson this week by sharing an AI-generated image that depicted the speaker holding a hose while a house burned in the background. 

He shared the image after declaring in a tweet that "US foreign aid spending is like watering the neighbor’s yard while your house is on fire."

The 1,547-page interim spending bill to avoid a government shutdown is effectively dead. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has all but yanked the plan off the floor after President-elect Trump, Vice President-elect Vance and Elon Musk torched the package to avoid a government shutdown this weekend and fund the government through March 14.

Had House Republicans had the votes to pass the bill – without leaning too heavily on Democrats – Republicans may have been able to pass the bill late Wednesday afternoon before the intervention of Mssrs. Trump and Vance. But there was just too much grassroots pressure, sparked by Musk on X and elsewhere.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS SCRAMBLE FOR PLAN B AFTER TRUMP, MUSK LEAD CONSERVATIVE FURY AGAINST SPENDING BILL

The stopgap spending package proved unpopular due to its size, and various legislative ornaments festooned on the bill like a Christmas tree. Conservatives were expecting Johnson to handle the spending plan differently this year at the holidays. But it backfired. Badly.

It’s notable that Mr. Trump did not weigh in until the 11th hour. He also demanded a debt ceiling increase. That’s something which faced the President-elect in the first quarter of the year and threatened to derail any legislative agenda or potentially spook the markets.

Johnson’s decision to veer off course – despite touting the bill heartily on Fox this morning – underscores several things.

This is a sign of things to come once President-elect Trump is in office. And that could present problems for Johnson as he may be at the whim of decisions by the new President?

Why did Johnson pull the bill?

It was wildy unpopular with his rank and file. But it devolved further once Musk and the President-elect got infused themselves. 

MATT GAETZ REPORT BY HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO BE RELEASED

In many respects, Johnson’s decision to pull the bill was all about January 3. That’s the day of the Speaker’s vote. With 434 members to start the new Congress, Johnson needs 218 votes. Otherwise, he lacks a majority and cannot become Speaker. The House must vote repeatedly – as it did in January 2023 - before electing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) five days later in what was the longest Speaker’s race since the 1850s. 

Johnson tried to salvage himself in the Speaker’s vote by adding emergency agriculture spending to the bill. But Johnson is now trying to salvage himself by coming up with a new bill. 

The irony is that Johnson did not want to create drama before Christmas with a spending package. But drama is exactly what he got in what quickly became the worst Congressional holiday standoff since the fiscal cliff in 2012 or a government shutdown threat in 2014.

So here’s the $64,000 Question: What play does Johnson call next?

Does he do a clean CR to fund the government with nothing attached? Is it a bill that just re-ups current funding coupled with disaster aid? Do they attach a debt ceiling suspension as President-elect Trump has requested?

RFK JR SET TO FACE ABORTION, VACCINE SCRUTINY IN SIT-DOWNS WITH SENATORS ON CAPITOL HILL

And then the biggest question of all: can ANYTHING pass at all? Especially without votes from the Democrats?

Johnson has a tranche of conservatives who won’t vote for any CR at all. Many of them would also not vote for a debt ceiling increase, either. 

And even if there is a new bill, do conservatives insist on waiting three days to ponder that bill? That triggers a government shutdown right there.

The deadline is 11:59:59 pm ET on Friday.  

So this is going to require someone to pull a rabbit out of a hat. 

President-elect Trump’s maneuver today is reminiscent of a similar move he made in December 2019, which sparked the longest government shutdown in history. 

Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), then-Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and others thought they had a deal to fund the government and avoid a Christmas-time shutdown. 

The Senate voted for the bill. Senators even sat in the back of the chamber and sang Christmas carols during the vote. 

Mr. Trump then balked at the last minute. House Republicans followed suit. The government shut down for more than a month. 

House GOP leaders appear to be searching for a backup plan after an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown on Friday was buried in an avalanche of conservative opposition.

The legislation angered conservatives in both the House and Senate – as well as President-elect Donald Trump's pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.

As Musk called for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats, Trump's presidential transition team released an official joint statement by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance opposing the initial iteration of the deal.

The bill was expected to get a vote sometime on Wednesday afternoon, but a planned round of late afternoon votes was canceled. Instead, senior Republicans are huddling in the speaker's office to chart a path forward – less than 24 hours after the legislation was unveiled.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters while leaving Johnson's office in the early evening, "There will be a new CR likely tomorrow. They are negotiating right now. But there will be no votes this evening."

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told reporters a short while later that he anticipated a "skinny" CR without disaster aid or agricultural subsidies.

It came after GOP critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson's handling of the issue.

The 1,547-page bill is a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding levels, aimed at giving lawmakers more time to agree on funding the rest of FY 2025 by the Friday deadline.

It’s the second such extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30.

In addition to funding the government through March 14, the bill also has more than $100 billion in disaster aid to help Americans affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also includes an added $10 billion in economic relief for farmers, as well as health care reform measures and a provision aimed at revitalizing Washington, D.C.’s RFK stadium and its surrounding campus.

Members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus said they felt blindsided by what they saw as unrelated policy riders being added to the bill in last-minute negotiations.

Several GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to speak freely said Johnson would see challenges to his speakership bid in early January over the matter.

But Johnson defended the deal on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday morning.

"When we start the new Congress in January, when Republicans are in control…we're going to be able to scale back the size and scope of government. But before we get to that point, remember right now, we only control one half of one third of the federal government. Remember, Democrats are still in charge of the Senate and the White House. So what we've done is the conservative play call here," he said.

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE DUO

Opponents of the legislation include Elon Musk, who posted on X, "Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!"

He later called on Republicans to leverage a partial government shutdown, "'Shutting down' the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions btw) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill."

Meanwhile Trump and Vance called for Republicans to reject the deal and instead opt for a CR paired with an increase in the U.S. debt limit – which was suspended until January 2025.

"Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want," the statement said.

But simply bowing to his right flank may not get Johnson out of the woods, with Democrats warning him to not renege on their deal.

"House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government.And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support.You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, R-N.Y., wrote on X.

Johnson was always likely to need Democratic help to pass a CR, given his slim margins in the House and widespread opposition to short-term funding extensions within the GOP.

But it's not clear if the number of Democrats willing to break ranks will offset that Republican opposition. 

House leaders will also have to decide whether to put the bill through regular order – which will include a House Rules Committee vote followed by a House-wide procedural vote before lawmakers can weigh on the measure itself – or bypass that and rush the bill onto the House floor in exchange for raising the threshold for passage to two-thirds rather than a simple majority.

All the while, the clock is ticking until the partial government shutdown deadline at the end of Friday.

EXCLUSIVE: House GOP critics of how Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is handling government funding talks are already beginning to float names of possible challengers, people told Fox News Digital.

Two GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., were all mentioned in early talks about alternatives.

One of the two lawmakers said they had not heard from any of the three, adding, "That would be suicidal." 

A person close to Donalds told Fox News Digital in response, "At this time, the Congressman has not made any statements regarding the future of House leadership."

A spokesperson for Emmer told Fox News Digital, "Whip Emmer supports Speaker Johnson and is focused on doing the job he was elected to do."

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

Fox News Digital also reached out to Jordan and Johnson's offices for comment.

But discussions about potential rivals to Johnson in the Jan. 3 House-wide speaker vote represent the latest warning shot from Republican lawmakers who are vehemently opposed to the short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR).

Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release on Sunday. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital more specifically that the deal was largely struck between the top two Democrats and Republicans in each chamber.

Since then, it has seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated at the unrelated policy riders attached to the legislation — rather than a "clean" extension of government funding.

In addition to averting a partial government shutdown through March 14, the bill also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, plus more than $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

Multiple GOP lawmakers signaled Tuesday that Johnson could face a challenge to his leadership over the CR.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

"The speaker definitely has some ‘no’ votes and some people considering their options," a third House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital when asked if Johnson could see blowback on Jan. 3, "There's always consequences."

When previously asked about any potential speakership challenges, Emmer, Jordan and Donalds have all said they back Johnson.

A source close to Jordan told Fox News Digital that the Ohio Republican is "not interested in challenging Johnson."

But all three ran for House Speaker last year after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted. Johnson ultimately won after a messy three-week fight.

The Louisiana Republican, who Republicans chose unanimously to be their candidate for speaker last month, is also backed by President-elect Trump, which is likely to keep a significant amount of backlash at bay.

He is also still expected to get a large share of GOP lawmakers to vote for his plan, with most in Congress in agreement that a partial government shutdown over the holidays would have a negative political and economic impact.

But his CR plan is also under attack by members of Trump's orbit — both Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy blasted the bill on Wednesday.

"Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!" Musk wrote on X.

Johnson himself dismissed concerns about his job as the blowback began to build on Tuesday.

"I'm not worried about the speaker vote," he said. "We're governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We're doing the very best we can under those circumstances."

The speaker and his allies have argued that they won the most they could while controlling one half of one third of government, and promised that Republicans would be in a better position to handle federal funding when the CR expires at the beginning of Trump's term.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has compared America's practice of doling out aid to foreign countries to a preposterous hypothetical scenario in which an individual waters their neighbor's yard while their own house burns. 

"US foreign aid spending is like watering the neighbor’s yard while your house is on fire," he tweeted.

The congressman followed up his initial comment by sharing an AI-generated image of House Speaker Mike Johnson holding a hose as flames emerge from a house behind him.

Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from Massie and a spokesperson confirmed that the image was created using AI, specifically, Grok.

Vivek Ramaswamy replied to Massie's comment about foreign aid by noting, "It’s worse - because unlike a household, U.S. government actors are spending *other* people’s money to do it."

ELON MUSK AGREES WITH RON PAUL'S CALL TO ‘ELIMINATE FOREIGN AID’

President-elect Donald Trump tapped Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to advocate government cost-cutting via an effort dubbed the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE). 

But getting Republicans on board with drastic spending cuts could prove problematic. 

Massie colorfully warned during a WABC radio interview, "I have Republican colleagues who'd rather run over their own mom with a car than to vote to cut spending."

In a post on X, GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas agreed with Massie's take, noting, "He’s not wrong…."

KEY TRUMP ALLY COMES OUT AGAINST MASSIVE EMERGENCY SPENDING PLAN: ‘THIS BILL SHOULD NOT PASS’

Conservatives have been savaging a government spending proposal released at the last-minute to avert the prospect of a looming partial government shutdown, even as some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, speak out in favor of it.

"I had hoped to see @SpeakerJohnson grow a spine, but this bill full of pork shows he is a weak, weak man. The debt will continue to grow. Ultimately the dollar will fail. Democrats are clueless and Big Gov Republicans are complicit. A sad day for America," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., declared in a post on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from Johnson about Paul and Massie's comments and the AI-generated image Massie shared, but a Johnson spokesperson pointed to the speaker's interview on "Fox & Friends."

Johnson noted during the interview that the spending measure kicks the government funding issue until March when Republicans will have control of Congress and the White House, enabling the GOP to "decide spending for 2025." The speaker also pointed to disaster relief in the measure as well as aid related to farmers.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SAVAGE SPENDING BILL AS MIKE JOHNSON DEFENDS IT: ‘WE GOTTA GET THIS DONE’

"People call me ‘NostraThomas’ for accurately predicting @SpeakerJohnson would use the Christmas recess to force a massive spending bill through Congress. After claiming he would not, Johnson is embracing a D.C. tradition that's nearly as old as decorating Christmas trees," Massie tweeted.

Earlier this year Johnson said there would not be a "Christmas omnibus." 

Pressed this week by Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram, Johnson said the measure under consideration is "not an omnibus."

• Members of Congress may be getting an up to $6,600 raise this year.
• That's due to a provision in a must-pass funding bill that's set to get a vote this week.
• Rank-and-file lawmakers have been making $174,000 since 2009.

For the first time since 2009, members of Congress may be about to get a raise.

Under a provision tucked into a new bill to fund the government through March 14, lawmakers would be given a cost of living adjustment to their salaries — something that Congress has blocked every year for a decade and a half.

That could result in up to a $6,600 raise for rank-and-file members of Congress next year, according to a recent report from the Congressional Research Service.

Currently, most members of the House and Senate make $174,000 each year. Some congressional leaders make more than that, such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, who makes a $223,500 annual salary.

Though that $174,000 sum is well above the average household income, it hasn't kept place with inflation, and lawmakers in both parties have argued that it's not enough to keep up with the demands and responsibilities of the job, which can include maintaining two residences.

"If we want working class people who don't rely on independent wealth, to represent people in Congress, we have to make it work," Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told Business Insider earlier this year.

"You have quite a number of members of Congress that sleep in their offices," Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told BI earlier this year. "In this day and age, it makes sense to have people that feel that they can serve, and still be able to sleep in a home at night."

If Congress hadn't blocked annual cost of living adjustments since 2009, rank-and-file lawmakers would be making $217,900 this year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Earlier this year, a group of current and former lawmakers filed a class-action lawsuit to recover money that they would have made if their wages hadn't, in their view, been "unconstitutionally suppressed."

Increasing lawmakers' salaries has long been politically unpopular, and the inclusion of the provision is already leading to some opposition from more politically vulnerable members.

Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat who represents a GOP-leaning district in Maine, said in a statement on Wednesday that he wouldn't vote for the government funding bill unless a pay freeze was reinstated.

"Members of Congress earn more than 90 percent of Americans," Golden said. "If any of my colleagues can't afford to live on that income, they should find another line of work."

If Congress fails to pass the bill by Friday, the federal government will shut down due to a lack of funding.

• Elon Musk, a cohead of the cost-cutting commission DOGE, said on X that the bill "should not pass."
• The 1,547-page proposal would fund the government through mid-March.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a release he spoke with Musk on Tuesday about his displeasure.

Hours after lawmakers released an eleventh-hour bill to fund the government through the middle of March, Elon Musk weighed in on the proposal.

"Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?" he asked in a post on X above a photo of the 1,547-page bill.

Musk is set to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget by July 4, 2026, alongside the biotech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.

In his own post late on Tuesday, Ramaswamy urged every representative and senator to read the bill. Musk minced no words when he reposted his cohead's statement.

"This bill should not pass," Musk wrote.

If passed, the stop-gap spending bill will fund the government through March 14 and avert a government shutdown, leaving Congress to deal with major spending choices after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The bill includes $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in economic aid for farmers, and the first pay raise for members of Congress since 2009.

Ramaswamy issued a scathing rejection of the bill in a six-paragraph X post on Wednesday, writing: "It's full of excessive spending, special interest giveaways & pork barrel politics."

Among other provisions, Ramaswamy criticized the stimulus for farmers, disaster relief, and pay raise for members of Congress and compared the additional "feel good" spending to "showering cocaine on an addict." He also said that the bill could have been fewer than 20 pages.

How members of Congress vote will, he said at the end of his post, show how serious they are about working with DOGE. "This is an early test," he wrote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a press release that he had spoken with Musk and Ramaswamy in a text chain on Tuesday night. The two "understand the situation," the speaker said in the release.

"They said, it's not directed to you, Mr. Speaker, but we don't like the spending," Johnson said. "I said, guess what, fellas, I don't either."

Musk and Ramaswamy have already begun publicizing prospective targets for cuts, including scaling back the federal workforce and slashing departments. The two have met with GOP lawmakers to discuss their goals, though details of the meeting remain scarce.

Representatives for Johnson and Ramaswamy declined to comment further for this article, and Musk did not respond to a request for comment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday rebuffed the Biden-Harris administration's response to recent drone sightings in New Jersey, decrying how federal authorities have given no clear answers to Congress on their origin. 

In a Fox News appearance, Johnson agreed that the White House, and more broadly the U.S. government, does not seem concerned about the increased sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere in the Northeast. 

"Look, I'm the speaker of the House. I have the exact same frustrations that you do and all of us do. We don't have the answers. The administration is not providing them," Johnson said. 

Johnson said he set up a meeting last week with officials from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, and "the answers are not forthcoming."

TRUMP SAYS THE GOVERNMENT 'KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING' WITH MYSTERIOUS DRONES

"They just say 'don't worry about it, it's not foreign entities, there's not a vessel offshore doing this, and they're not collecting any data.' OK, then what is it?" Johnson said. 

"You heard Mayorkas, who no one believes, we impeached him in the House as you know, the DHS secretary, he said in an interview a couple days ago, well because they changed the regulations to allow drones to fly at night, that's why everybody's seeing them now. They've always been there. I mean, look, people are not buying the answers," Johnson said. "We are digging in further to get the answers, and we're demanding that the administration do its job. We gotta protect Americans, protect our intelligence, of course, and our data and everything else. We're going to get down to the bottom of it, but we don't have the answers yet."

Johnson referenced how Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News on Monday that there are thousands of drones flown every day in the U.S., and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September 2023 "changed the rules so that drones could fly at night, and that may be one of the reasons why now people are seeing more drones than they did before, especially from dawn until dusk." 

Mayorkas also said it was "critical" for Congress to expand authorities for state and local agencies to counter drone activity "under federal supervision." 

Johnson reacted to President Biden telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday that there was "nothing nefarious" happening with the drones, and that so far, there has been "no sense of danger."

"This is why we need Donald J. Trump back in the White House to bring steady hands at the wheel and a strong commander-in-chief," Johnson said. "He would have already had the answers, he would have already delivered to the American people and certainly to members of Congress. So leadership matters. That's why he got the mandate. That's why the American people can't wait for the America First agenda to start, and we can't wait either."

Federal authorities said Monday evening that the reported drone sightings have been identified as legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. Officials said that assessment was based on technical data and tips.

The House Intelligence Committee grilled federal law enforcement and intelligence officials about the drones during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., told CNN. 

Authorities told the panel there still is no evidence of public safety or national security threats, Himes said.

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that drone-detection equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment, except to say it was powerful and could even disable the drones, though he said that is not legal on U.S. soil. Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones.

TRUMP TALKS MYSTERY DRONES, TIKTOK BAN, RFK JR. AND MORE IN HOUR-LONG PRESS CONFERENCE

Meanwhile, the FBI and New Jersey state police warned against pointing lasers at suspected drones, because aircraft pilots are being hit in the eyes more often. Authorities also said they are concerned people might fire weapons at manned aircraft that they have mistaken for drones.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks from any of the reported drone sightings in the northeast, saying officials believe they were lawfully flown drones, planes or stars.

"There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States," Kirby said. "And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with."

The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said.

About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant more investigation, according to a joint statement by DHS, FBI, FAA and the Department of Defense. 

Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents.

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said it Is unlikely the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. He repeated Tuesday that the drones being reported are not being operated by the Department of Defense. When asked whether military contractors might be operating drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder rebuffed the notion, saying there are "no military operations, no military drone or experiment operations in this corridor."

Ryder said additional drone-detecting technology was being moved to some military installations, including the Picatinny Arsenal and at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, where drones also have been reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is putting himself forward as a contender to be the next chair of the House Rules Committee, an influential panel that acts as the last gatekeeper for most bills before they get a House-wide vote.

"I will defer to the speaker on that," Roy said when asked about the chairmanship on Steve Bannon’s "War Room" podcast this week. "Obviously, I have put my name out there."

It would be an astonishing ascent for a lawmaker who has been a vocal critic of House leadership on certain issues, particularly on government spending.

More recently, however, the GOP rebel – and current policy chair of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus – has gained a reputation for being a conduit between GOP leaders and the lawmakers usually known for bucking their directives.

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE'S MUSK, RAMASWAMY

Roy got a seat on the House Rules Committee as part of a deal with ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in January 2023 to expand conservative representation – a piece of a wider compromise for McCarthy to win his short-lived House speakership.

The Texas Republican was not one of the eight Republicans who later voted to oust McCarthy despite his early criticism – and was even publicly skeptical of his colleagues’ decision to do so.

The House Rules Committee is the final stop for bills before a House-wide vote. The committee and its chair are responsible for dictating the terms of debate on a bill and what, if any, amendments will also get a vote.

After a bill passes the House Rules Committee, it is then subject to a House-wide "rule vote" to allow for debate on the legislation before a vote on final passage.

In his two years on the committee, Roy has voted against several House rules, which could put his hopes for the role in jeopardy.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

He’s scored support from multiple colleagues, however – Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital on Thursday, "He’d be great. I support him 100%."

Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, wrote on X that Roy "will build the conservative coalition in the House needed to support President Trump’s priorities as Rule Committee chairman."

But unlike other committees, whose chairpersons are selected by a wider group of lawmakers, only the House speaker gets a say for the House Rules panel.

"I think it’s important to have a rules chairman, whoever that may be, that will support leadership," one GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak freely said about Roy’s bid. 

"The speaker is going to get his agenda passed one way or the other, and so whoever he appoints to that – that’s going to be the deal. Because he can remove them and then replace them."

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN

Another GOP lawmaker said, "He's one of the brightest and knows procedure, but most won't trust him in that role."

Rumors are swirling that current House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., is also in contention for the role.

Current House Rules Committee Chairman Michael Burgess, R-Texas, is retiring at the end of this year. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he still has lingering doubts about a children's online safety bill that Elon Musk threw support behind this weekend.

"There's still some concern about the free speech components of that, and whether it might lead to further censorship by the government of valid, you know, conservative voices, for example. So we're working through all that," Johnson told reporters at his weekly press conference Tuesday.

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is the most significant social media reform pushed by the Senate in decades. 

It breezed through Congress' upper chamber in a 91 to 3 vote but hit a snag in the House of Representatives, where leaders have expressed concern about possible censorship and about the power it bestows on the Federal Trade Commission.

ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY AGREE ON ‘NEED TO SCRUTINIZE’ US FUNDING FOR NGOS

Linda Yaccarino, CEO of the Musk-owned social media platform X, announced over the weekend that they have worked with the Senate sponsors of the bill to alleviate some of those issues.

"We’ve heard the pleas of parents and youth advocates who seek sensible guardrails across online platforms, and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) addresses that need. After working with the bill authors, I’m proud to share that we’ve made progress to further protect freedom of speech while maintaining safety for minors online," Yaccarino wrote on the platform this weekend. "We urge Congress and the House to pass the Kids Online Safety Act this year."

It precipitated a pressure campaign over the weekend by allies of President-elect Donald Trump pushing the House to take up the bill. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and Donald Trump Jr., were among those who sounded off, as well as Musk himself, who posted on X, "Protecting kids should always be priority #1."

Johnson said Tuesday that he appreciated the efforts behind the legislation. He also suggested the effort could be renewed next year, with only two weeks left in the current congressional term.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER OPEN TO ‘BIPARTISAN COOPERATION’ IN ELON MUSK'S DOGE PLANS

"I'm grateful for the hard work that's been done. I'm grateful for the support behind it. Certainly, I think all of us, 100% of us, support the principle behind it," the speaker said.

"But you've got to get this one right when you're dealing with the regulation of free speech. You can't go too far and have it be overbroad, but you want to achieve those objectives. So it's essential that we get this issue right.

"We are very optimistic that if it's not done this year, that we can do that early next year with our Republican majorities, because it's the Republican Party that has been working aggressively to protect children online."

The bill’s leaders, Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., thanked Musk and Yaccarino for their work over the weekend.

GOP SENATOR ANNOUNCES ‘DOGE ACTS’ TO BACK MUSK, RAMASWAMY GOVERNMENT COST-CUTTING OBJECTIVES

"These changes should eliminate once and for all the false narrative that this bill would be weaponized by unelected bureaucrats to censor Americans," Blackburn and Blumenthal said. "We appreciate that this endorsement and revised text reflects their publicly stated goal of furthering free speech without fear of censorship. We reiterate X’s call to pass KOSA by the end of the year – it is clear that this legislation has overwhelming support from Congress."

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KOSA would put the onus on social media companies to prevent and mitigate potential harm that could be caused to users under age 17.

The bill would also force platforms to block addictive components for minor users and make it easier for minors to protect their information, among other measures.

Allies of President-elect Trump are pressuring House leaders to take up legislation overhauling how social media companies deal with users under 18 – but time is running short with just two weeks left in this congressional term.

Elon Musk is among the figures in Trump’s orbit pushing for the legislation, and his company X has been involved in talks on reshaping the bill to alleviate concerns about some provisions. 

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) overwhelmingly passed the Senate earlier this year in a 91-3 vote. It hit a snag in the House of Representatives, however, where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., have both expressed reservations.

House leaders were worried the bill would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) too much power, and that it could open the door to censorship of certain viewpoints.

ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY AGREE ON ‘NEED TO SCRUTINIZE’ US FUNDING FOR NGOS

"When X testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last January, we committed to working with Congress on child safety legislation. We’ve heard the pleas of parents and youth advocates who seek sensible guardrails across online platforms, and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) addresses that need. After working with the bill authors, I’m proud to share that we’ve made progress to further protect freedom of speech while maintaining safety for minors online," Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, wrote on the platform this weekend.

"We urge Congress and the House to pass the Kids Online Safety Act this year."

Musk wrote in response, "Protecting kids should always be priority #1."

Donald Trump Jr., also sounded off Sunday, "We can protect free speech and our kids at the same time from Big Tech. It's time for House Republicans to pass the Kids Online Safety Act ASAP."

"KOSA is the right thing to do to protect our kids from dangerous online content – while still preserving free speech. Let’s pass this commonsense legislation now!" Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s former press secretary, also chimed in.

The bill’s leaders, Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., thanked Musk and Yaccarino in their own statement.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER OPEN TO ‘BIPARTISAN COOPERATION’ IN ELON MUSK'S DOGE PLANS

"These changes should eliminate once and for all the false narrative that this bill would be weaponized by unelected bureaucrats to censor Americans," Blackburn and Blumenthal said. "We appreciate that this endorsement and revised text reflects their publicly stated goal of furthering free speech without fear of censorship. We reiterate X’s call to pass KOSA by the end of the year – it is clear that this legislation has overwhelming support from Congress."

Fox News Digital reached out to both Scalise and Johnson’s offices for comment on the most recent version of the bill and on the Trump allies’ push.

When asked last week whether there could be a KOSA vote this month, Scalise told Fox News Radio, "We still are working through some of the problems that give power to, for example, to an unelected bureaucrat who’s under investigation for abuse of power."

Johnson told Punchbowl News in October that some details of the bill were "problematic."

At least one senior House GOP aide who spoke with Fox News Digital is not optimistic that much can be done in the last two weeks Congress has in Washington this year, however. 

When asked what the odds were of KOSA getting a House-wide vote this month, the aide bluntly responded via text: "0."

GOP SENATOR ANNOUNCES ‘DOGE ACTS’ TO BACK MUSK, RAMASWAMY GOVERNMENT COST-CUTTING OBJECTIVES

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.

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KOSA is one of the most significant social media safety bills passed by the Senate in years.

It would put the onus on social media companies to prevent and mitigate potential harm that could be caused to users under age 17.

The bill would also force platforms to block addictive components for minor users and make it easier for minors to protect their information, among other measures.

Fox News Radio's Ryan Schmelz contributed to this report.

Congressional leaders have agreed to terms for this year’s defense policy bill, with nearly $900 billion in spending, new limits on transgender-related medical care and a significant raise for young U.S. service members.

Roughly 1,800 pages detailing the new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that outlines U.S. defense and national security priorities each fiscal year, were released Saturday evening.

The bill details policy for $895.2 billion in federal spending.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the bill "refocuses our military on its core mission of defending America and its interests around the globe by supporting law enforcement operations and the deployment of the National Guard to the southwest border, expediting innovation and reducing the acquisition timeline for new weaponry, supporting our allies and strengthening our nuclear posture and missile defense programs."

DOZENS OF PROMINENT VETERANS SIGN ONTO LETTER SUPPORTING 'OUTSTANDING' HEGSETH NOMINATION AMID CONTROVERSIES

It includes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops, according to the Republican leader’s office.

Another provision says "medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization may not be provided to a child under the age of 18," referring to the transgender children of U.S. service members.

The measure sparked backlash from the Human Rights Council, which called it an "attack" on military families.

"This cruel and hateful bill suddenly strips away access to medical care for families that members of our armed forces are counting on, and it could force service members to choose between staying in the military or providing health care for their children," HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.

TRUMP FLOATS DESANTIS AS POTENTIAL DEFENSE SECRETARY REPLACEMENT IF HEGSETH FALTERS

The bill also includes border security elements Republicans had previously pushed for, including a bipartisan initiative to create a Northern Border Mission Center under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to Johnson’s office, it would also "fully support the deployment of National Guard at the southwest border to intercept illegal aliens and drugs."

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., touted the significant pay raise for junior troops. He also said the NDAA "puts our service members first by boosting compensation, improving housing, supporting the spouses of service members, increasing access to child care and ensuring access to medical care." 

Other provisions also place limits on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)-based recruitment and the teaching of critical race theory in military-run schools.

GOP TENNESSEE AG REACTS TO ORAL ARGUMENTS IN SUPREME COURT TRANSGENDER RIGHTS CASE: 'FEEL REALLY GOOD'

The House is expected to vote on the NDAA next week.

The policy bill traditionally has passed with wide bipartisan support, save for some progressives and conservatives who are normally critical of the U.S. defense industrial complex.

However, it’s not immediately clear how many Democrats will be put off enough by its anti-DEI and anti-transgender medical care provisions to vote against the must-pass legislation.

Transgender rights activists on Thursday participated in a "bathroom sit-in" in a restroom across from House Speaker Mike Johnson's office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in protest of a new policy barring trans people from using bathroom facilities that match their gender identity.

Around 15 people were arrested on suspicion of crowding, obstructing or incommoding for illegally protesting inside the Cannon House Office Building, the U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital. 

The protest was organized by the Gender Liberation Movement, which describes itself as a grassroots organization that focuses on bodily autonomy and gender. 

NANCY MACE'S EFFORT TO BAN TRANSGENDER DELAWARE DEMOCRAT FROM CAPITOL WOMEN'S RESTROOMS GAINS SUPPORT

A video posted on the group's Instagram account shows protesters holding signs calling for a "Ban on bathroom bigotry," occupying a restroom and blocking a hallway. 

The Hill reported that Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst and whistleblower, was one of those being led away by authorities in zip ties. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013 after disclosing classified documents and military reports to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The sentence was commuted in 2017 by former President Obama and Manning was released from prison after serving seven years. 

Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, announced the new bathroom policy in November after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., tried to block trans people from Capitol restrooms that don't match their gender at birth. 

MACE FACES BACKLASH OVER EFFORT TO BAN NEW TRANSGENDER MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM WOMEN'S BATHROOMS

The move came ahead of the first openly transgender lawmaker, Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., joining Congress in January. McBride is a biological male who identifies and presents as a woman. 

Mace recently introduced a resolution to ban men who identify as female from women's restrooms on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, she posted a video on X of herself standing outside a Capitol Police station. 

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Using a bullhorn, she read the Miranda rule to the protesters arrested. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Johnson's office. 

• Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-leads of DOGE, visited Capitol Hill on Thursday.
• GOP lawmakers were generally upbeat about the duo's plan to cut spending.
• But the details of how they'll do it remain vague.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy paid a visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday, meeting with GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate to discuss their much-anticipated "Department of Government Efficiency," otherwise known as DOGE.

But while their visit generated all of the buzz that one might expect from an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the world's richest man, it left little clarity about what, exactly, President-elect Donald Trump's new government-efficiency effort would actually do.

"There won't be a lot of detail for the press today, and that's by design," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters. "This is a brainstorming session."

Musk and Ramaswamy had spent their mornings meeting separately with an array of GOP senators to discuss government efficiency. With Johnson in tow, they were now meeting with members of the House and Senate's newly formed DOGE caucus in the Capitol basement. After that, they would speak with a larger group of Republicans in a nearby auditorium. Democrats were apparently not invited to any of those meetings, despite a handful of them expressing interest in the new project. "I would have liked to attend the meeting," Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York wrote on X, calling the one-party nature of the affair "unfortunate."

With all of the attention that DOGE is generating (at least 100 reporters and staff members had assembled outside the basement meeting room to catch a glimpse of Musk, who was carrying his son X-Æ-12 on his shoulders) it still remains unclear how the initiative will achieve Musk's goal of $2 trillion in spending cuts — and which programs might end up on the chopping block.

That's despite the best efforts of the Capitol Hill press corps, who peppered Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina with several such questions as he left a meeting with Ramaswamy on Thursday morning.

How would DOGE succeed when so many previous government reform initiatives have failed? "You're way too ahead, that question is way too early for this process," Tillis replied.

Does Musk have too many conflicts of interest to run DOGE, given some of his companies' reliance on government largesse? "You're way too early, you're already anticipating what the priorities are going to be," Tillis replied.

Were there any specific departments discussed in the meeting? "Way too early," Tillis replied.

Despite the lack of broad clarity, Musk and Ramaswamy have laid out some initial plans for DOGE, including using recent Supreme Court rulings to challenge and roll back existing regulations, reevaluate federal government's contracts, shrink the federal workforce, and going after taxpayer funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood. Musk has also indicated an interest in addressing wasteful spending in the military, drawing the interest of progressives.

Republicans also have their own long-standing pet projects that they're eager to see DOGE take up. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the chair of the Senate DOGE caucus, has already identified $2 trillion in cuts that she'd like to see. More broadly, Republicans are generally eager to shrink government expenditures at any chance they might get.

Rep. David Schweikert, a debt-obsessed Republican from Arizona, told BI that his initial skepticism about Musk and Ramaswamy was assuaged after attending the DOGE caucus meeting with the duo, which he said focused more on the mechanics of how cuts might be pursued than specific line items to be targeted.

"There seemed to be a much deeper understanding of the structural issues and structural barriers than I expected," said Schweikert. "I left genuinely impressed."

Johnson told reporters that Thursday's meeting were the "beginning of a journey" for lawmakers, and he's probably right.

It's hard to see DOGE coming anywhere close to $2 trillion in cuts without touching entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, which would likely become a major political headache for Republicans if pursued.

And the organization that Musk and Ramaswamy are set to run will only be able to make recommendations. While Trump may seek to veer into legally treacherous terrain by asserting his authority to simply refuse to spend congressionally approved funds, any major reform proposals will likely need the approval of majorities in both chambers — itself a treacherous task, given their slim majorities.

But as long as DOGE remains a collection of platitudes, everyone involved will be on the same page — and is eager to snap a selfie with Musk.

"This is sort of the opening bell, I think, of something that's going to be really great," said Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are expected to visit Capitol Hill Thursday morning to meet with Republican lawmakers in both chambers of Congress to discuss ways to reduce waste in the federal government just weeks after the creation of the Trump-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate and biotech entrepreneur, are the co-heads of the new agency created by President-elect Trump to root out government waste. 

The two will visit Washington, D.C., for meetings with top lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Senate, signaling they will work alongside Congress to slash abuse of taxpayer money. 

MUSK, RAMASWAMY TO DISCUSS DOGE PLANS WITH GOP LAWMAKERS

Musk and Ramswamy are expected to attend the first Senate DOGE Caucus meeting Thursday morning. The caucus is chaired by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. 

Later, the pair will cross to the other side of the Capitol for a bicameral event hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who invited legislators from both the House and Senate to the event. 

Johnson, in his save-the-date announcement, said he plans to discuss "major reform ideas" with Musk and Ramaswamy to "achieve regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings," while also reviving "the principle of limited government." 

Johnson declared that Trump "has made this possible." 

Musk and Ramaswamy are wasting no time laying out their vision for slashing government bloat through DOGE. The pair penned an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal last month, explaining how the outside-government agency will operate to determine suggestions for cuts.

The entrepreneurs have vowed to scrap entire government agencies through the DOGE initiative, which they intend to wrap up by July 4, 2026.

MUSK AND RAMASWAMY LAY OUT DOGE VISION IN WSJ OP-ED: 5 TAKEAWAYS

In their op-ed, Musk and Ramaswamy largely focused on how DOGE could assist in identifying waste and regulations that could be eliminated through the executive branch.

Republicans will control the White House and both chambers of the legislature when Trump returns to office in January, and many GOP lawmakers have already expressed interest in assisting the agency. 

In the House, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said he will establish the Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee, which will be chaired by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to work with DOGE. 

The subcommittee is expected to investigate wasteful spending, examine ways to reorganize federal agencies to improve efficiency and identify solutions to eliminate bureaucratic red tape.

COMER TO CREATE DOGE SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRED BY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE TO WORK WITH ELON MUSK, VIVEK RAMASWAMY

Sources told Fox News Digital Comer and Ramaswamy have already met to discuss how best to work together. 

Trump said last month he hopes DOGE will become the "Manhattan Project of our time," a reference to J. Robert Oppenheimer’s secretive atomic bomb endeavor during World War II.

"Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of DOGE for a very long time," Trump said.