Will Musk and Trump cause a government shutdown in December? Republicans urged to reject Congress spending bill

Don’t look now, but the federal government is again facing a potential shutdown. If it feels like you’ve seen that headline before, you’re not crazy—there’s been a series of near-shutdowns over the past several years, with the last full shutdown occurring during the first Trump administration, lasting between December 22, 2018, and January 25, 2019.

As for where things stand with a month remaining in the Biden administration? Here are the answers to your most pressing questions about the threat of a new shutdown.

Why is the government going to potentially shut down?

Lawmakers were set to pass a continuing resolution, which would fund the federal government until March of next year. The bill, which comprises more than 1,500 pages, was put forth by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Republican, who had an agreement with Congressional Democrats to pass it, dodging a potential shutdown.

But President-elect Donald Trump suddenly entered the fray this week, demanding that Republicans reject the bill and go back to the negotiating table. The continuing resolution added additional spending, such as $100 billion for disaster aid for states affected by hurricanes earlier this year, and the extra spending already had many Republicans wary of supporting the bill.

Elon Musk, an ally of Trump’s, also voiced his opposition to the bill, which seemingly set the stage for wider opposition among conservatives.

What are the sticking points?

The main issue among Republicans is that the continuing resolution allows the federal government to continue to spend money at unsustainable levels, further increasing the national debt, which is already more than $36 trillion. Additionally, they oppose the increased spending on disaster aid, along with some other additions to the bill, such as healthcare policy tweaks, economic assistance for farmers, funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and a pay raise for lawmakers.

Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy—who, together, have been tapped by Trump to lead a new non-government agency called the Department of Government Efficiency, designed to weed out wasteful spending and reduce government expenses—effectively whipped up outrage and resistance to the bill over the additional provisions and mounting national debt.

As it stands, Trump is asking Republicans to cut out some items that were Democratic priorities and suspend the debt limit—which, ironically, runs counter to the concerns of overspending. It’s notable as well that some Republican lawmakers are supporting a potential shutdown, too.

When is the deadline?

The government will shut down without a new funding bill at midnight on Friday, December 20.

What happens if the government shuts down?

If the government does shut down, federal agencies will discontinue nonessential functions, and only mandatory spending programs will continue. Each federal agency has its own plan for shutdowns, and those plans outline which activities will continue or that are deemed essential. So, it’s possible that some federal courts or judicial activity may be halted, but border protection and air-traffic control would still operate, given that they’re essential.

Accordingly, potentially hundreds of thousands of government workers and contractors could be furloughed.

Furthermore, mandatory spending programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare would also continue, but certain elements of those programs could be delayed. But again, nonessential federal functions, such as most of the National Parks Service, would temporarily shutter. The Office of Management and Budget has a list of the plans put together by various federal agencies.

The shutdown would persist until a new funding bill is signed into law.