The threat of a federal government shutdown suddenly lifted late on Saturday as US President Joe Biden signed a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open with little time to spare after the US Congress rushed to approve the bipartisan deal.
The package dropped aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of Republican lawmakers, but increased federal disaster assistance by US$16 billion, meeting Biden’s full request. The bill would fund the US government until Nov. 17.
After chaotic days of turmoil in the US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy abruptly abandoned demands for steep spending cuts from his right flank and instead relied on Democrats to pass the bill, at risk to his own job. The US Senate followed with final passage closing a whirlwind day at the Capitol.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“This is good news for the American people,” Biden said in a statement.
He also said the US “cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” and that he expected McCarthy “will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.”
It had been a sudden turn of events in Congress ahead of the midnight funding deadline after grueling days in the House pushed the government to the brink of a disruptive federal shutdown.
The outcome ended, for now, the threat of a shutdown, but the reprieve might be short-lived. Congress would again need to fund the government in coming weeks, risking a crisis as views are hardening, particularly among the right-flank lawmakers whose demands were ultimately swept aside this time in favor of a more bipartisan approach.
“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said before the House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room, and we’re going to keep government open.”
If no deal was in place before yesterday, federal workers would have faced furloughs, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops would have had to work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast would have begun to face shutdown disruptions.
“It has been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief: There will be no government shutdown,” US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
The package would fund the government at this year’s levels until mid-November, and also extended other provisions, including for the US Federal Aviation Administration. It was approved by the House 335-91, with most Republicans and almost all Democrats supporting it. The Senate passed it 88-9.
However, the loss of Ukraine aid was devastating for lawmakers from both parties vowing to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after his recent Washington visit. The Senate bill included US$6 billion for Ukraine, and both chambers came to a standstill on Saturday as lawmakers assessed their options.
For the House package to be approved, McCarthy was forced to rely on Democrats because the speaker’s hard-right flank has said it would oppose any short-term funding measure, denying him the votes needed from his slim majority.
After leaving the conservative holdouts behind, McCarthy is almost certain to face a motion to try to remove him from office, although it is not at all certain there would be enough votes to topple the speaker.
Most Republicans voted for the package Saturday while 90 opposed.
“If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said of the threat to oust him. “But I think this country is too important.”
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