Government shutdown fears cloud legislative agenda as House returns to session

WASHINGTON — Concerns over a possible authorities shutdown have reached a fever pitch as the House of Representatives returns to session this week with little progress to present on finances negotiations.

Government funding is ready to expire on Sept. 30, leaving lower than a dozen working days for each chambers of Congress to go all 12 appropriations payments and President Joe Biden to signal. The Republican-led House has solely managed to go one.

A failure to achieve this would end in a authorities shutdown main to furloughed staff, businesses closed and lots of important packages positioned in peril.

“There’s no motive for a authorities shutdown,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated Wednesday at a briefing. “It is necessary for Congress to maintain their promise that they made to the American folks and do their job.”

Deep divisions stay between the events with Republicans wanting to implement massive spending cuts unlikely to go within the Democratic-controlled Senate. The White House final month known as on Congress to go a short-term continuing resolution to maintain authorities funding at its present ranges whereas negotiations lag on.

The House Freedom Caucus, which incorporates essentially the most conservative members of the Republican Party, is wanting to reduce spending for the fiscal 12 months 2024 to $1.47 trillion, or round $120 billion underneath what Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to in May when the 2 sides final sparred over finances talks. The demand is a non-starter for each the White House and Senate leaders, together with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell final month stated finances negotiations have been a “fairly large mess” and predicted a unbroken decision could be handed.

The Senate might have bipartisan help for a short-term stopgap funding invoice however it’s extra difficult within the House. Freedom Caucus Republicans have stated they oppose even passing the persevering with decision without concessions on border funding and if it contains cash for Ukraine.

Some hardline Republicans have been holding out help till McCarthy agreed to launch an impeachment inquiry into Biden, which he introduced he would Tuesday. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stated she would not vote on any necessary budget bills except impeachment proceedings started. Republicans supporting the impeachment push stay murky on what excessive crimes and misdemeanors Biden allegedly dedicated.

McCarthy is in a tough scenario. He is beholden to the wants of each member of his caucus, together with the hardliners of his slim ten-person majority. This was on full show originally of the session when it took 15 ballots, and lots of concessions, to elect him speaker. The speaker warned his caucus {that a} authorities shutdown would have detrimental results on the impeachment course of as properly.

“If we shut down, all of presidency shuts down — investigations and all the pieces else,” McCarthy informed Fox News final month.

Not all members of his caucus have signaled they’re on board for impeachment. Rep. Ken Buck, R-Co., a member of the Freedom Caucus, known as the scenario “absurd” in an interview with MSNBC.

“The time for impeachment is the time when there’s proof linking President Biden — if there’s proof linking President Biden to a excessive crime or misdemeanor. That would not exist proper now,” Buck stated. “And it’s actually one thing that we are able to say, properly, in February, we’re going to do that. It’s based mostly on the details. You go the place the details take you.”