RECURRING SPECTACLE
The budget vote in Congress regularly turns into a standoff, with each party using the prospect of a shutdown to obtain concessions from the other – until a solution is found at the last minute.
But this year the showdown is exacerbated by new levels of polarisation on Capitol Hill.
In the Senate, debate is led by two political heavyweights, Democratic majority leader Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader.
“Leader McConnell and I are both strongly for aid for Ukraine,” Schumer told CNN on Friday. “And I believe the majority of the members of both parties in the Senate agree with that.”
If no firm agreement is reached, lawmakers could turn to a short-term funding measure, called a continuing resolution, which would offer temporary respite to lawmakers to find common ground.
The shutdown prospect comes just four months after the debt ceiling crisis, during which the United States came dangerously close to defaulting on its debt, which could have had disastrous consequences for the American economy and beyond.
As part of the deal averting default, Democrats agreed to limit certain spending in hopes the budget would be approved smoothly.
“A deal is a deal,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, blaming Republicans for the risk of a “needless shutdown.”
If the government were to halt operations, low-income families may not receive their food aid checks, air traffic could be disrupted and national parks could close.
Civil servants deemed “non-essential” will be asked to stay home, receiving paychecks only when the problem is resolved.
The United States has lived through four shutdowns since 1976. The longest began in late 2018, lasted five weeks and cost the American economy US$3 billion, according to congressional figures.
Most lawmakers say they oppose a repeat – but avoiding one might be difficult.
“I don’t want to see a shutdown,” House Republican Tony Gonzales told CBS News on Sunday. “But there is no doubt in my mind that the country is headed for a shutdown, and everyone should prepare as such.”
Source: CNA
