US Senate under pressure to prevent government shutdown

The two chambers of Congress have been unable to pass annual government appropriations bills, so they have relied on temporary extensions, known as continuing resolutions (CRs), to allocate funds to specific federal agencies and programs. According to AP, this is the third temporary budget bill introduced in the current fiscal year, which begins in October 2024.

US Capitol Building

The bill maintains current spending levels through the end of September. The House passed the bill on March 11, and House members have left the capital. So the final decision now rests with the Senate, and specifically the Democrats. Republicans control the Senate with 53 of the 100 seats and would need at least eight Democratic votes to pass the bill.

Democrats are faced with a difficult choice: either pass a bill they don't like or reject it and let the government shut down, a development that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described as "far worse." According to Reuters, Schumer said he would pass the bill because a government shutdown would be a "gift" to President Donald Trump, giving the administration greater control, especially the ability to determine which agencies, programs and employees are "non-essential," leading to furloughs without guarantees of rehiring.

Other Democrats, meanwhile, criticized the budget level in the interim bill and were more concerned about the power it gives the administration over spending decisions. According to the AP, the CR does not include specific spending directives for key programs, and that gives the executive branch more autonomy in allocating money, potentially leading to budget cuts from programs Democrats support to initiatives they disagree with.

“Both of the options we’ve been offered are desperate,” said Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper. Republican Sen. John Cornyn predicted Democrats would “bend over” and criticized them for opposing the administration’s plan to reduce the federal workforce but now wanting to furlough all federal workers through a government shutdown. “If the government shuts down, it’s not the Republicans’ fault,” Trump said at the White House on March 13.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thuong-vien-my-duoi-ap-luc-ngan-chinh-phu-dong-cua-185250314214600136.htm