Jeffries Blasts GOP as 'Puppets of the Wealthy' After Government Funding Plan Crumbles

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) launched a scathing critique of Republican leaders on Thursday evening following the collapse of a Trump-backed plan to fund the federal government and raise the debt ceiling.

The proposal, spearheaded by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), failed spectacularly on the House floor, leaving lawmakers scrambling as a potential government shutdown looms.

Jeffries accused the GOP of bending to the influence of billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal Trump supporter. Musk’s staunch opposition to a bipartisan spending deal reportedly played a pivotal role in derailing earlier negotiations, leaving Johnson to cobble together an alternative proposal.

That effort culminated in a decisive 174-235 vote against the measure, with one member voting present—falling far short of the 273 votes required under the fast-track rules used by Republicans.

In a pointed post on Bluesky, a social media platform rivaling Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), Jeffries lambasted the GOP’s handling of the crisis. “The Musk-Johnson government shutdown bill has been soundly defeated,” he declared. “MAGA extremists in the House GOP are not serious about helping working-class Americans. They are simply doing the bidding of their wealthy donors and puppeteers. Unacceptable.”

The fallout from Thursday’s failed vote has thrown the legislative process into further disarray. The overwhelming defeat suggests that Johnson’s bill has no realistic path forward in the House, even if brought under regular order, which would only require a simple majority to pass.

This leaves Congress at an impasse, with the federal government facing a shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday if no action is taken.

A shutdown would have wide-reaching consequences, affecting federal workers, critical services, and countless Americans reliant on government programs.

Despite the urgency, the sharp divisions within the GOP and their reliance on figures like Musk for political direction have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats. Jeffries’ remarks underscore the growing frustration among lawmakers as the deadline approaches, with no clear resolution in sight.