United States Braces for Federal Government Shutdown as Congress Rejects Spending Cuts and Border Security Measures
Washington (AP) – The United States is on the verge of a federal government shutdown as hard-right Republicans in Congress refuse to compromise on steep spending cuts and strict border security measures. Democrats and the White House argue that these measures are too extreme.
If a deal is not reached by midnight Saturday, federal workers will face furloughs, more than 2 million military troops will work without pay, and essential programs and services across the nation will experience disruptions.
To address the impending shutdown, the Senate has scheduled a rare Saturday session to advance a bipartisan package that would fund the government in the short-term, through November 17. This package is supported by both Democrats and Republicans and includes funding for Ukraine aid and U.S. disaster assistance. However, even if the Senate passes the bill swiftly, it is unlikely to prevent a shutdown due to the chaos in the House. A revolt among hard-right Republicans resulted in Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s latest plan collapsing on Friday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., emphasized the necessity of bipartisanship in avoiding a shutdown. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky echoed this sentiment, warning his hard-right colleagues that shutting down the federal government would only burden and harm the American people.
The impending shutdown poses significant uncertainty for federal workers and the people who depend on them, including troops, border control agents, office workers, scientists, and more. Programs like Head Start, food benefits, and countless others could face interruptions or closures. Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay, potentially leading to travel delays.
The failure of the House bill to fund the federal agencies and pass a temporary bill in time for the new budget year on Sunday is mainly due to the resistance from hard-right Republicans. McCarthy’s last-ditch effort to keep the government open temporarily was vehemently opposed by a faction of 21 hard-right holdouts who deemed the spending cuts and border security provisions inadequate.
The White House and Democrats rejected the Republican approach as too extreme, resulting in Democrats voting against the bill. With few options to prevent a shutdown, McCarthy expressed that he is considering other ideas, including a two-week stopgap funding measure proposed by hard-right senators.
Many Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, are working to stop Ukraine aid included in the Senate package. The House bill already reduced routine Ukraine aid, but the intensifying resistance to the war effort among Republicans may result in bipartisan support for excluding any assistance to Ukraine from the funding bill.
Efforts to reconcile between McCarthy and President Joe Biden have been unsuccessful. McCarthy had previously walked away from a debt deal brokered earlier this year, favoring the demands of conservatives. The House package would have imposed significant spending cuts on non-defense agencies, implemented new border security provisions, and established a bipartisan debt commission to address national debt.
During the floor debate, Republican critics, including Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, publicly announced their opposition to the bill, urging colleagues to stand firm. Gaetz, who is an ally of former President Donald Trump, has been leading the movement to remove McCarthy from the speaker’s office if he does not meet conservative demands. Trump himself has encouraged Republicans to fight for their priorities, even suggesting a government shutdown.
In response to the ongoing negotiations, the House leadership announced that the House would remain in session next week to continue working on the 12 spending bills needed to fund the government. However, it remains uncertain whether any other Republican would have the support necessary to lead the party if McCarthy were to be ousted.
Amidst the negotiations, Trump criticized McConnell and other GOP senators on social media, denouncing them as “weak and ineffective” for compromising with Democrats. He urged them not to make any further concessions.