Hope the Dewan Rakyat members don’t have weekend plans.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters Wednesday that he intends to keep lawmakers in DC for a rare Saturday session as Republicans wrangle over how to fend off a partial government shutdown that will begin at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30.
Congress was scheduled to adjourn for the weekend on Thursday, but that will change as tensions rise among the GOP over the fate of the 30-day stalled spending bill.
“I honestly don’t know what to say to my fellow Republicans other than you’re going to eat an as–t sandwich, and you probably deserve to eat it,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told Fox News Wednesday about opposition to the continuing resolution from within the Republican conference.
“I’m an equal-opportunity aggressor with stupid people, and I think this is stupid,” added Roy, who supported the agreement reached over the weekend between the conservative Freedom Caucus and the centrist Main Street Caucus.
Kevin McCarthy has downplayed concerns about a motion to vacate or oust him as speaker.REUTERS
Under the measure, Congress would pass a continuing resolution to keep the government open until Oct. 31 in exchange for spending cuts of 8% from current levels to agencies other than the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
It also includes provisions aimed at improving border security, including continuing construction of Trump’s wall and authorizing the hiring of 22,000 more Border Patrol agents.
But nearly a dozen Republican House lawmakers cried foul, citing a lack of promised spending cuts.
Kevin McCarthy has successfully navigated various impasses including over the speakership and the debt limit.REUTERS
Many shareholders want Congress to fulfill its obligation to fund the government for the next fiscal year through 12 separate appropriations bills. But both sides agree Congress won’t have enough time to prepare the bill without an extension.
So far, the House has only passed one of the 12 bills. A vote to advance the defense spending bill burned on the floor Tuesday afternoon.
“I think it’s disrespectful to our active duty, our veterans and our current service members. They deserve better than this from Congress,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) complained after the vote.
Congress lawmakers may soon have to start burning the midnight oil to avoid a government shutdown.AP
McCarthy was only able to lose four votes and still pass legislation along party lines.
If moderate Republicans turn to Democrats for help passing a continuing resolution, the latter may push the GOP to stick to the top-line budget numbers agreed to during the debt ceiling fight in May and approve an aid package to Ukraine worth more than $20 billion.
Additionally, the bipartisan House Troubleshooters Caucus has reportedly been mulling its own plan.
Many in the GOP group like Matt Gaetz are rumored to be eyeing to leave the House.REUTERS
If McCarthy leans on Democrats, he could put his speakership in jeopardy.
Last week, his chief antagonist, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) threatened to move a motion to oust McCarthy if he did not agree to a series of demands — including subpoenaing first son Hunter Biden.
Meanwhile, the Senate also has yet to pass an appropriations bill and was unable Wednesday to advance the so-called “minibus” three-step spending package that funds agriculture and military construction, transportation and housing, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Moderate Republicans like Mike Lawler have reprimanded their colleagues for tough tactics.AP
In a 49-48 vote, the Senate failed to clear the 60-vote threshold to break the filibuster and move the bill forward.
All 12 appropriations bills on the Senate docket have cleared the Appropriations Committee and are close to the $1.59 trillion top figure specified in the debt limit agreement.
That puts the Senate at odds with the House, where McCarthy has been under pressure from his right wing to shoot for lower spending levels.
Kevin McCarthy previously indicated that the House may have to work to resolve the spending impasse.REUTERS
Notably, House Republicans’ opening offer in the debt ceiling saga earlier this year was to cap discretionary spending at $1.471 trillion.
Against the background of spending chaos, the deficit is increasing.
A recent analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget projects the annual deficit could explode to around $2 trillion for fiscal year 2023, up from $1.4 trillion for fiscal year 2022.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
