2023-09-30 15:55:51
Shortly before an impending shutdown of government business, Republican Kevin McCarthy announced a new attempt to prevent a shutdown at the last moment. “We will put clean bridge funding on the table to keep the government open for 45 days,” the leader of the U.S. House of Representatives said today.
This should give time to agree on a proper federal budget. The interim budget should contain money for disaster control and border security. However, the draft does not provide any help for Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia. The Republicans have a slim majority in the House of Representatives.
It is completely unclear whether McCarthy has any support within his own ranks for the interim budget. The radicals in his party had recently opposed another draft that already contained significant savings. It is unclear what exactly they are actually demanding – the parliamentary group in the House of Representatives is completely fragmented.
Time short
Even if McCarthy received enough support from his party colleagues for his new bill, it is more than doubtful that it would pass the Senate. US President Joe Biden’s Democrats have the majority there. In addition, the time is actually too short. McCarthy’s new draft might simply serve to ultimately blame the Democrats for a shutdown.
The term of the budget approved by the US Congress at the end of last year ends overnight. By then, a new federal budget or a transitional budget would have to be decided in order to avert insolvency.
A shutdown means millions of government employees will no longer receive a salary. Many ministries and authorities have emergency plans for this eventuality. So most military members continue to work – but for the time being without pay. How severe a shutdown affects everyday life and the economy in the USA depends on its length.
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