Budget measure approved in the House, yet threat of government shutdown still lingers
The United States government is edging closer to a shutdown, with both the House and Senate leaving home until next week, leaving little time for lawmakers to reach a spending agreement.
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson (GOP), while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. The current standoff mirrors a similar fight that took place on Capitol Hill earlier this year, where Democrats eventually helped Republicans pass a stopgap spending measure.
However, this time around, Democrats are pushing for bipartisan talks and for Republicans to include measures addressing government spending cuts, including reinstating Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republicans, on the other hand, are betting on Schumer's inability to withstand pressure as the October 1 deadline approaches.
The Senate failed to garner the necessary votes for a stopgap funding bill today. Only one Democrat, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, broke ranks to aid Republicans, but it wasn't enough to meet the required threshold. It remains unclear whether enough Senate Democrats would step in to help Schumer this time.
In the Senate, votes were scheduled on competing partisan proposals to extend government funding beyond the end of the month for seven weeks. Senate Minority Leader Schumer faced backlash from the party's base after helping a stopgap funding bill surpass the 60-vote threshold earlier.
Meanwhile, the House passed a stopgap measure largely along party lines, but it failed to gather enough support in the Senate. The House has cancelled the session for the beginning of the following week, with members only being notified to potentially return if a shutdown occurs.
In a bid to negotiate offline, members hope to reach a deal next week. However, the recess makes such negotiations challenging. Republicans have passed a massive partisan spending tax package through a special legislative maneuver.
Two recession packages led by President Trump have recouped billions in spending. NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales is covering the high-stakes standoff.
As the deadline approaches, it remains to be seen whether lawmakers can come to an agreement and avoid a government shutdown. No unnamed politicians have been identified as central figures in the current dispute beyond those explicitly mentioned in the text.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
