Even in the climate of tension and political polarization that the United States is currently experiencing, Democrats and Republicans were able to reach an agreement that can prevent the partial government shutdown next month. This is just a first step, an agreement to set some kind of spending cap that cannot be exceeded in the dozens of budget bills that fund the federal government. Although there is still a risk that negotiations over the distribution of funds will fail, US President Joe Biden was quick to celebrate this progress.
The agreement was reached between House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as the minority leaders of both chambers. The very fact that there are political majorities of different orientations in the two chambers of Congress has blocked almost all legislative activity for more than a year.
The agreement sets the spending cap at 1.66 trillion, including an inflation adjustment of 69,000 million. These numbers respect the agreement Biden reached in May with current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the debt ceiling. “By securing $772.7 billion in non-defense discretionary funding, we can protect important national priorities like veterans benefits, health care and food assistance from the draconian cuts sought by right-wing extremists,” they said in a joint statement from Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the Democratic minority in the House of Representatives.
Among other things, Congress must also approve Biden's proposed aid bill for Ukraine and Israel, which is not affected by this agreement.
The president celebrated the progress in a statement: “The bipartisan funding framework agreed upon by congressional leaders brings us one step closer to preventing an unnecessary government shutdown and protecting important national priorities.” signed into law in the spring. “It rejects deep cuts to the programs that working families rely on and provides a path to passing year-round funding legislation that benefits the American people and is free from extreme political measures,” Biden said. “Now Republicans in Congress must do their job, stop threatening to shut down the government, and fulfill their fundamental responsibility to fund important national and domestic security priorities, including my supplemental request: “It’s time for them to act,” he added.
Democrats and Republicans agreed to a second extension last November to prevent a government shutdown that was actually similar to the one that previously cost Kevin McCarthy his job. Funding was extended until January 19th for some of the programs and until February 2nd for another part. These are the dates that mark the countdown to reaching a final agreement and passing the necessary legislation.
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The United States has not just one budget bill, but a dozen, but is fundamentally unable to pass them in time for the start of the fiscal year on October 1st. Typically, a budget extension, called a standing resolution, is approved while legislation authorizing the year's spending is being processed, which usually follows a cumbersome and complex process full of amendments.
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