After Trump's criticism, a "48-hour escape" unfolds: House Republicans in the U.S. urgently seek alternatives to avoid a government shutdown

After Trump criticized the short-term spending proposal put forward by both parties, the Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives was forced to race against time, staging a "48-hour escape" to avoid a government shutdown this weekend.

The temporary funding bill passed by Congress in September will expire on the 20th of this month, which is this Friday night. Congress must take new legislative action before then, or the government will be forced to shut down due to a lack of funding to support its operations. On Tuesday, the House released a newly drafted short-term spending bill, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), which will maintain federal government spending at current levels for the next three months, providing lawmakers with more time to negotiate a new annual appropriations bill. The proposal also includes $100 billion in disaster relief funding, a one-year extension of the farm bill, and $10 billion in aid for farmers.

However, the aforementioned temporary spending CR faced strong opposition from Trump's camp as soon as it was introduced. Wall Street Insight reported that Elon Musk, who is set to become the joint minister of Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), posted over twenty messages on social media on Wednesday, criticizing the bill from various angles and urging congressional members to vote against it, threatening that any member supporting the bill should be voted out in two years.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Trump stated on Fox News on Wednesday that he is "completely opposed" to the proposed CR. The elected Vice President Vance, in a joint statement with Trump posted on social media, stated that Congress should pass a "clean" spending bill rather than meet all of the Democrats' demands. The statement also urged Republicans to pressure Democrats to agree to raise the debt ceiling.

Trump himself and his leadership team's opposition made it difficult for the CR to gain support from Republican members in the House, which is controlled by the majority party. Republicans led by House Speaker Mike Johnson had to race against time to find an alternative Plan B that could appease Trump and Musk. Media reports indicated that Trump's demand for any spending bill to raise the debt ceiling surprised many Republicans.

On Thursday, Republican House members held a meeting in Speaker Johnson's office. Upon leaving the office, Tom Cole, the influential chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and a Republican, told some media that Republican leaders are exploring various options to address the imminent threat of a government shutdown, stating, "I think there are a lot of options," and "We are moving in a good direction."

When asked whether Republicans are still considering March 14 as the next deadline for government funding provided by the short-term spending bill, Cole replied, "I have no reason to believe the timeline has changed." He also mentioned that he feels it is unfair to use the shutdown crisis against Trump.

Fox News learned that House Republicans are working towards reaching "some sort of agreement" on the CR, with Speaker Johnson and other Republicans discussing this with incoming Vice President Vance. The specific details are still unclear, and it is unknown whether it is merely a patch to avoid a government shutdown or potentially more substantive measures regarding the debt ceiling and/or disaster relief Fox also stated that some Republican congressmen have strong hostility towards Musk and are dissatisfied with external forces like Musk undermining short-term funding expenditure plans and interfering in congressional affairs.

CNN reported that Republican congressman Dusty Johnson, who left a meeting with Speaker Johnson on Thursday, did not disclose the details of the upcoming agreement but stated that the lawmakers are "making progress" and that "things are going smoothly." "I am not authorized to discuss any details. I just want to tell you that the atmosphere in the meeting room is collaborative."

CNN learned from insiders that the White House and congressional Democrats generally agree that the issue of government spending should be resolved by the Republicans.

Meanwhile, Trump insisted on Thursday on the demand to raise the debt ceiling. He told ABC News that "he would rather see the government shut down" if the debt ceiling is not extended or completely eliminated. A government shutdown would only hurt the current President Biden.

At the same time, some of Trump's allies in the House have publicly called for a government shutdown. For example, Congresswoman Taylor Greene posted on social media that, for her, the government could remain shut down until January 20 of next year, which is Trump's inauguration day