WASHINGTON — The brief peace following the elections has officially ended.

Democrats and Republicans resumed their usual squabbling this week as both sides sought to shift blame for a looming government shutdown.

Lawmakers nearly finalized a bipartisan spending bill on Wednesday when billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally of Donald Trump, urged Republicans to abandon the agreement. Trump quickly expressed his support for Musk’s stance.

“If there’s going to be a government shutdown, let it happen now under the Biden Administration instead of waiting until January 20th under ‘TRUMP.’ This is a problem for Biden to solve, but Republicans should help if they can!” the president-elect stated on Friday morning via social media.

House Republican leaders then rushed to draft a new bill that complied with their requirements while relying on Republican votes. Eventually, they managed to secure a bipartisan deal to fund the government until March 14.

In a tense finish, Congress averted a shutdown just 30 minutes after the midnight deadline. The funding measure passed with votes of 366 to 34 in the House and 85 to 11 in the Senate.

However, this solution is merely temporary, postponing important decisions and likely setting the stage for more conflicts when the new Congress, with narrow Republican control, begins.

“In January, we will initiate significant changes in Washington,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Friday evening, hinting at the upcoming Republican control over the White House as well. “Things will be very different here.”

“We are pleased with tonight’s results,” Johnson stated. “We appreciate that everyone came together for the right reasons, and with this important task completed, we are prepared for a crucial new beginning in January.”

His remarks came at the end of a turbulent few days in Washington, with the upcoming 2026 and 2028 election cycles looming large.

During a White House briefing on Friday, the president’s press secretary accused Republicans of causing the earlier collapse of the bipartisan agreement and urged them to “get out of their own way” to resolve the issue.

“This is a mess that Speaker [Mike] Johnson created. It’s his responsibility to address it,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

She also placed blame on Trump and Musk for the breakdown of the previous deal.

Meanwhile, the GOP countered by placing responsibility on Democrats.

GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna slammed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who claimed to his colleagues that he had Republicans “in a tough spot.”

“That’s not a good situation, Schumer,” she remarked. “It’s irresponsible to play games with our future and with those relying on us to fulfill our duties.”

Political Tactics Resurface in Washington

The return of political maneuvers ended a brief period of tranquility following Trump’s surprising win in November. Lawmakers were caught in a Trump-induced turmoil that risked leaving countless federal workers without pay during the holidays if a deal hadn’t been reached by the deadline.

Up until this week, Trump had largely refrained from criticizing President Biden, as both leaders emphasized a smooth transition of power. Biden had also mostly avoided public criticism of Trump.

However, the fragile peace began to fray on Friday as Trump urged lawmakers to increase the debt ceiling under Biden and suggested they might need to shut down the government until he gets his way.

Initially, members of Congress came together to create a bipartisan spending agreement that would support President Biden’s request for disaster relief after the catastrophic Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

However, on Wednesday, the deal fell apart when Musk and Trump exerted pressure on lawmakers via posts on X, pushing them to create a bill unencumbered by compromises. Trump argued that the spending bill should remove the debt ceiling attachment, thus tying it to Biden rather than addressing deficit concerns until the following year.

Conservative members in the House joined forces with Democrats to defeat the updated bill.

Throughout the negotiations, Biden maintained a distance, choosing not to engage publicly.

On the House floor, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader, displayed a large poster that proclaimed “#REPUBLICAN SHUTDOWN” in stark white letters against a deep red and black background.

According to Jeffries, the initial proposal would have offered disaster support to communities in need, aiding farmers, families, children, seniors, workers, veterans, and military personnel. He emphasized that Democrats negotiated the Republican-driven bill sincerely.

“But when one or two influential figures intervened, the extreme MAGA Republicans chose to serve the interests of wealthy millionaires and billionaires,” he claimed.

He stated that a GOP bill, which ultimately failed, was a strategy to force a government shutdown unless Congress agreed to suspend the debt ceiling for two years, describing this as a tax cut that would benefit only the affluent.

He specified, “For many years, the Republican Party has schooled the nation on fiscal responsibility regarding debt and deficits, but this bill shows their hypocrisy.”

Florida Representative Jared Moskowitz strongly urged Republicans during a passionate speech to “step up and pass a bill with their majority.” He noted, “We’re here because you can’t reach a consensus among yourselves.”

“Democrats will keep the government running for the American populace. We’ll mediate the differences between both sides of the aisle, but we need to be included in the discussions. If you want our help to resolve your issues, you have to reach out,” said Moskowitz, who recently joined the new GOP-led DOGE caucus focused on reducing federal government size.

Luna stated on Friday that the agreement initially reached by the Democrats with Johnson’s team emerged from a closed meeting that excluded rank-and-file Republicans. “We will not be manipulated any longer,” she remarked to reporters. “We’re putting our foot down.”

White House Critiques Republicans

The White House condemned Republicans on Friday for undermining the original bipartisan agreement at the instigation of Musk and Trump, aiming to cast blame for government dysfunction on Biden and his administration.

“It’s up to them to clean up this mess,” Jean-Pierre stated regarding the Republicans.

Biden refrained from making public comments about the shutdown prospects. However, his spokesperson indicated he had spoken with Jeffries and Schumer.

It was noted that while Biden has generally taken a non-intrusive approach to Hill negotiations, he is now prepared to assist in advancing a bipartisan agreement through Congress. “Republicans need to take responsibility for this issue,” Jean-Pierre stressed.

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On Friday, federal workers were warned about the potential for a government shutdown that could affect their paychecks, while the White House reassured them that a deal was still possible.

If Congress had not reached a last-minute agreement, federal employees classified as nonessential would have been prohibited from working and would not have received their salaries during a shutdown. Conversely, military personnel and essential staff must work without pay during a shutdown; however, they would eventually receive back pay.

The averted shutdown would have marked the first under President Biden’s administration. The longest shutdown in U.S. history lasted 35 days and occurred during Trump’s first term, overlapping with the holiday season and New Year’s Day.

Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon told reporters earlier this week, while a shutdown remained a possibility, that both parties would likely share the blame from the public.

“I believe it’s going to reflect poorly on all of us to some extent,” he stated.

When further questioned, Bacon added: “There’s enough blame to distribute all around at this moment, I’ll put it that way.”