Aiexpress – House and Senate leaders reached a bipartisan agreement on Wednesday to prevent a partial government shutdown before the looming Friday deadline.
The House is set to vote on a temporary funding bill on Thursday, as part of the agreement. Soon after, the Senate will also cast its vote.
The legislation is expected to pass the House with Democratic support. However, it may encounter procedural hurdles in the Senate if a member objects to expediting the voting process, which could potentially delay the vote beyond the shutdown deadline.
The House is expected to pass the legislation with Democratic support. However, there may be procedural hurdles in the Senate if a member objects to expediting the voting process, which could potentially delay the vote beyond the shutdown deadline.
If approved, the deal would prevent a partial government shutdown this Friday, which would affect about 20% of the government. Additionally, it would establish new funding deadlines: March 8 for the 20% and March 22 for the remaining 80%.
President Joe Biden may find himself in a situation where he has to deliver his State of the Union address on the night before the March 8 deadline, in order to prevent a partial shutdown.
Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism about government funding on Wednesday, stating, “Things are progressing smoothly,” as he made his way into the Capitol.
Members of Johnson’s own conference have expressed their opposition to his plan of utilizing continuing resolutions. Recently, the House Freedom Caucus urged Johnson to present a funding bill that would serve as a temporary solution for a year, while also proposing significant reductions in government spending.
During a recent meeting at the White House, Johnson expressed his belief that all the top congressional leaders could reach an agreement. He emphasized that Republicans were actively engaged in spending negotiations and were approaching the matter in good faith. However, he did acknowledge that some GOP hard-liners were pushing back on the approach to handle the issue.
“We all understand that a shutdown would be detrimental to the American people. It would result in increased costs, decreased safety, and ultimately, the American people would bear the consequences,” expressed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during a Senate floor session on Wednesday. He further emphasized the need for the four leaders to swiftly reach an agreement in order to not only prevent a shutdown on Friday but also make significant progress in completing the appropriations process as a whole.”
Schumer urged House Republicans to put aside partisan interests and reject the ultimatums of hard-liners who are threatening to shut down the government unless all of their demands are met.
“This is not the way to govern. If our House Republican colleagues who genuinely want to do what is right, they must acknowledge a fundamental reality about a divided government: Republicans cannot pass a bill without the support of Democrats. It requires both sides to collaborate and disregard the extreme views of the hard-right in order to achieve any progress.”
