The US Government Avoids Shutdown but Excludes Aid for Ukraine
The US government has managed to avoid a federal shutdown after both the House and Senate agreed on a short-term funding deal. The bill, which ensures funding until November 17, was signed into law by President Joe Biden just minutes before the deadline. While this news comes as a relief for many, it also delivers a blow to Democrats who were hoping to secure new aid for Ukraine.
The bill was submitted by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, defying hard-liners within his own party. A government shutdown would have had severe consequences, including placing tens of thousands of federal employees on furlough without pay and suspending various government services. The shutdown was scheduled to begin at 00:01 ET (04:01 GMT) on Sunday.
In a surprising turn of events, McCarthy decided to put the temporary funding measure to a vote, helping to avert a shutdown. The measure includes funding for natural disasters but does not make any major concessions on spending levels, which was a key demand from Republicans in the lower house. Interestingly, the bill received more support from Democrats than Republicans, with as many as 90 House Republicans voting against it.
This outcome is a setback for a small group of right-wing Republicans who have relentlessly demanded spending cuts and opposed new aid for Ukraine. With the House adjourning immediately after the vote, the Senate, which had its own bill that included aid for Ukraine, had no choice but to pick up the House legislation. Only nine senators voted against this bill, all of whom are Republicans.
While McCarthy acknowledged that this last-minute agreement was not his preferred route, he stated that he had tried to pass the most conservative stopgap measure possible, but had lacked the necessary support from the Republicans. In response to this development, President Biden released a statement condemning the actions of extreme House Republicans and urging Speaker McCarthy to allow a further funding deal for Ukraine without delay. He emphasized the importance of maintaining uninterrupted American support for Ukraine.
In an uncommon move, senior Senate leaders from both parties issued a joint statement, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring ongoing US government support for Ukraine in the coming weeks. This statement was prompted by Democratic Senator Michael Bennet from Colorado, who temporarily held up Saturday’s proceedings in protest over the lack of guarantees for Ukraine in the deal.
Over the years, Congress has approved a significant amount of aid to Ukraine, totaling approximately $113 billion (£92 billion), encompassing military, humanitarian, and economic support. President Biden has now requested an additional $24 billion.
It is worth noting that shutdowns occur when both chambers of Congress fail to agree on the necessary federal spending, which must be approved annually before the start of the fiscal year on October 1. With Republicans holding a slight majority in the House and Democrats holding the Senate by a single seat, securing support from both parties is crucial for passing any funding measures. However, recent efforts to pass spending bills in the House have been hindered by rebel right-wing Republicans who oppose short-term spending measures and advocate for long-term bills with agency-specific savings, despite the slim chance of such bills advancing through the Senate.
McCarthy’s decision to rely on Democratic votes to pass the short-term bill was initially seen as a red line, which could potentially trigger an attempt to remove him from his leadership position. Congressman Matt Gaetz and other hard-line conservatives in the House were considering this course of action. However, it remains to be seen whether they will follow through with their threat or if it was merely a bluff.
As fundamental disagreements over government spending levels and policies persist between Republicans and Democrats, as well as among Republicans themselves, it is likely that this drama will repeat in less than seven weeks. The unresolved conflicts may continue to impede the passage of funding bills.
The next few days will provide insight into whether Gaetz and his colleagues were serious about their threat to challenge McCarthy’s leadership. Regardless, the US government must navigate these contentious issues to ensure the continuity of necessary services and support for the country and its allies.
