Statement: Trump Threatens to Shut Down Government and Rip Away Michiganders' Disaster Relief Funding
December 19, 2024
LANSING - In response to Donald Trump’s eleventh-hour threat to shut down the government, jeopardizing the delivery of critical disaster relief funding for Michigan, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes released the following statement:
“Once again, Donald Trump, along with his billionaire buddy Elon Musk, has pressured his MAGA cronies to abandon a bipartisan agreement —putting $1,607,000,000 in critical disaster relief funding in jeopardy for Michigan. By issuing an ultimatum for Republicans to either shut down the government or raise the debt limit so he can gift tax handouts to his billionaire friends yet again, Trump has sided with the ultra-wealthy and special interests – and against working people. Instead of trying to help anyone, Trump is leaving hardworking Michiganders to suffer as he uses long-awaited disaster relief as a bargaining chip to further his out-of-touch priorities.”
Donald Trump is telling his MAGA minions to shut down the government, breaking a bipartisan agreement.
- The Independent: “Trump demands government shutdown after Elon Musk rants over stopgap funding bill”
- NBC News: “President-elect Donald Trump excoriated a bipartisan government funding bill Wednesday afternoon, throwing the stopgap measure into chaos just as leaders of both parties were hoping to pass it.”
- CBS News: “The new stopgap measure, with approval from the House, Senate and President Biden, would keep the government funded through March 14, giving lawmakers more time to reach agreement on new spending bills when the GOP controls both the House and the Senate.”
A government shutdown could disrupt the lives of millions of Americans and halt disaster relief funding.
- Time: “As Shutdown Looms, $100 Billion in Disaster Relief Hangs in Balance”
- CNN: “Facing intense pressure of the federal government potentially shutting down within days and disaster aid coffers that need replenishment, lawmakers are racing to cobble together a temporary government funding plan after President-elect Donald Trump torpedoed their last package on Wednesday.
- “The now-dead agreement would have kept the federal government operating through March 14, as well as provided nearly $100 billion in disaster aid and economic relief for farmers in rural communities. The deal would have also provided lawmakers with their first pay raise since 2009.”
Americans have repeatedly made clear they don’t want a government shutdown that would affect working families and our nation’s economic stability.
- PBS: “Most Americans say it’s unacceptable for Congress to use federal shutdown as bargaining chip”
- Axios: “More than half of American adults say a shutdown of the federal government would affect them personally - and 68% say the threat of one decreases their trust in the government, a new survey says.”
