US lawmakers are gearing up for a crucial vote on Thursday to avoid a potential government shutdown, a scenario that could have significant repercussions in an election year. If action isn’t taken by the weekend, funding for several key federal agencies is at risk of expiring.
With five months into the fiscal year, Congress has yet to approve the 12 annual spending bills constituting the federal budget. Midnight on Friday marks the initial deadline, with another looming on March 8.
The impending expiration threatens funding for vital sectors such as agriculture, science, veterans’ programs, transportation, and housing. Potential consequences include disruptions to food safety inspections, air traffic controller salaries, and other critical functions.
Should a full shutdown occur a week later, it would coincide with President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7. This would render several departments and agencies, including defense, border security, and Congress, unable to function.
In an effort to avert this crisis, the Republican-led House of Representatives plans to vote on a short-term “continuing resolution” to extend the initial deadline until March 8, with March 22 set as the cut-off for the remaining six bills.
Expectations are high for the Democratic-led Senate to endorse this measure before the day ends. House Speaker Mike Johnson faces the challenge of navigating a narrow majority, balancing the demands of both right-wing factions and moderate Republicans.
Moderates view shutdowns as politically damaging, endangering Republican prospects in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, conservatives advocate for measures such as reducing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’s salary to zero and defunding parts of President Biden’s climate agenda.
Last year, Biden reached a compromise with Republicans mandating automatic cuts amounting to tens of billions of dollars if full-year spending bills aren’t passed by April. The House Freedom Caucus, comprising 40 hard-right members, remains steadfast in its opposition to compromise.
To address these challenges, Biden convened a rare Oval Office meeting with congressional leaders to urge progress on the budget and expedite crucial aid for Ukraine, currently stalled due to Republican infighting.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation, urging colleagues to collaborate and bypass the extremes of the hard-right to achieve meaningful progress.
