2023-10-01 14:11:09
It happened almost three hours later. Three short hours that separated the United States from a shutdown, a paralysis of its federal administration… Saturday September 30, the last day of the budget year across the Atlantic, the Congress finally found a compromise and closed, at least provisionally, the political psychodrama: in the absence of agreement on a finance law for the year which opens, the majority and the opposition adopted a measure ensuring state services operating credits for the next 45 days.
A large majority
The solution came from a text proposed at the last minute by the leader of the Republicans in the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy. This resolution was first voted on by the House (335 votes for, 91 against), before receiving the approval of the Senate (88 votes for, nine against).
In a statement, President Joe Biden appeared relieved: “Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep government open, avoiding an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted unnecessary suffering on millions of hard-working Americans.”he reacted.
In 2018, a high bill for the American economy
The absence of an agreement would in fact have been synonymous with technical unemployment for a million and a half civil servants. It is also expected, in such budgetary blockages, that civil servants providing essential services – such as soldiers or air traffic controllers – will continue to work without being paid.
A shutdown would have resulted in a sharp slowdown in the world’s largest economy. Experts estimate that the measure had, in 2018-2019, cost the country three billion dollars (2.83 billion euros) in gross domestic product.
Respecting a commitment to the Ukrainian people
Although he avoids such a mishap, Joe Biden nevertheless regrets that the agreement reached does not include, as he had requested, the continuation of military aid to Ukraine. The host of the White House immediately called on parliamentarians to adopt another text to this effect. “I expect the President of Congress to uphold his commitment to the Ukrainian people and ensure the adoption of the support necessary to help Ukraine at this critical time,” did he declare.
Response from the person concerned, Republican Kevin McCarthy, to the press: “What Russia did is wrong. But I think that whatever we do, we have to define what a victory means and what the plan should be. »
Priority to the fight against immigration, plead Trump supporters
Within his party, a handful of elected officials, supporters of Donald Trump, are opposed to any new aid to Ukraine and are calling for the planned funding ($24 billion, or 22.6 billion euros) be invested in strengthening the fight against illegal immigration.
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