In a dramatic turn of events, the US government has managed to avert a federal shutdown as both the House and Senate reached an agreement on a short-term funding deal. The bill, which ensures funding until November 17, received overwhelming support and was signed into law by President Joe Biden just minutes before the deadline.
However, the bill was stripped of any new aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia, which was a key demand from Democrats. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy defied hard-liners in his own party by submitting the bill.
The government shutdown, which would have resulted in tens of thousands of federal employees being furloughed without pay and the suspension of various government services, was scheduled to begin at 00:01 ET (04:01 GMT) on Sunday.
The decision to put the temporary funding measure to a vote came as a surprise, with McCarthy opting for a bill that contains funding for natural disasters but makes no major concessions on spending levels, a key demand of the Republican-controlled lower house. The majority of lawmakers were eager to avoid a shutdown, and the bill received more support from Democrats than Republicans, with approximately 90 House Republicans voting against it.
This move dealt a blow to a small group of right-wing Republicans who had been obstructing negotiations by demanding spending cuts and refusing to provide new aid for Ukraine. With the House adjourning immediately after the vote, the Senate, which had agreed on its own bill that included aid for Ukraine, had no choice but to adopt the House legislation. Only nine senators voted against it, all of whom were Republicans.
In a statement released shortly after the Senate vote, President Biden criticized “extreme House Republicans” for attempting to create a “manufactured crisis” and urged Speaker McCarthy to allow a funding deal for Ukraine to pass without delay. He emphasized the importance of maintaining American support for Ukraine without interruption.
In an unusual move, senior Senate leaders from both parties, including minority leader Mitch McConnell, released a joint statement expressing their commitment to ensuring continued support for Ukraine in the coming weeks.
The resolution came after Senator Michael Bennet, a Democratic member from Colorado who supports increased funding for Kyiv, protested the lack of guarantees for Ukraine in the deal, causing a delay in Saturday’s proceedings.
While the government shutdown has been averted for now, fundamental disagreements over government spending levels and policies between Republicans and Democrats, as well as within the Republican party itself, remain unresolved. This suggests that a similar drama could unfold in less than seven weeks when the issue resurfaces.
The coming days will reveal whether Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and other hard-line conservatives in the House will follow through on their threat to challenge McCarthy’s leadership position. McCarthy’s decision to rely on Democratic votes to pass the short-term bill was seen as a potential trigger for a motion to vacate his position as Speaker.
As the dust settles, it remains to be seen whether Gaetz and his allies were serious about their threat or if it was merely a bluff. The future of government funding and the resolution of key issues hang in the balance, with the potential for further political turmoil in the weeks to come.
Source: BBC News