The United States Congress has three days to avoid a partial government shutdown as divisions between the two parties within the fragile Republican majority in the House of Representatives delay lawmakers in their duty to fund federal agencies.
Democratic and Republican leaders emerged from an intensive meeting with President Joe Biden on Tuesday pledging to avoid a shutdown, but without agreeing on how to do it whether a deal for what began on January 1 fiscal year, whether through the approval of a fourth shortterm measure.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson traded recriminations despite reaching an agreement last month on $1.59 trillion in discretionary spending for the fiscal year.
“We believe we can reach agreement on these issues and prevent a government shutdown. And that is our first responsibility,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday.
The most conservative members of its narrow Republican majority have called for spending cuts and policy changes, including some related to abortion and food aid, in federal funding bills that Democrats have rejected. The lack of an agreement will trigger a partial government shutdown from Saturday.
A second deadline also looms for a larger group of federal agencies that would run out of funding on March 8.
Schumer told reporters Tuesday that lawmakers have made progress in negotiations to fund the government but have not yet finalized anything.
“There is no reason for a shutdown, not with bipartisan cooperation from both sides in both houses,” Democrat Patty Murray, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Tuesday.
The impasse comes as the U.S. national debt reaches $34.3 trillion and is rising rapidly. Ratings agency Moody's said in September that a government shutdown would hurt the country's creditworthiness.
In addition to government funding legislation, Congress is seeking to pass a $95 billion national security funding proposal, including new aid to Ukraine and Israel that Biden has insisted on. The Senate approved the measure, but it was blocked in the chamber.
Portal This publication, including information and data, is the intellectual property of Portal. Their use or name is expressly prohibited without the prior permission of Portal. All rights reserved.