The US Congress avoided a US government shutdown this Saturday, with both chambers passing legislation that expands funding for key issues this Saturday. 45 daysdespite the reluctance of a group of legislators radical republicans.
“We avoided closure. The bipartisanship that has been the hallmark of the Senate has prevailed, and the American people can breathe a sigh of relief,” Upper House Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Summer said minutes before the House vote. result. 88 yes and 9 no.
Although the legislation that President Joe Biden will now sign does not include continued aid to Ukraine, Summer said she agreed with Republican leader Mitch McConnell to continue to “fight” to ensure that final budgets include continued aid flows to Kiev. .
V House of Representatives (Lower House), with a Republican majority, the bill received a total of In favor – 334 votes, 209 from Democratic congressmen and 125 from Republicans.
A total of 91 Republicans voted no, many of them from a group of supporters of former President Donald Trump who are united in the Freedom Caucus, also known as MAGA, and have taken their pulse with McCarthy as too moderate.
Overnight, three hours before midnight, and after resistance from a Democratic senator calling for greater commitment to Ukraine, the US Senate approved a measure to fund the federal government and allow the flow of money in government agencies and funds for disaster recovery.
In this way, he avoids, albeit temporarily (until November 17), a government shutdown that would have serious consequences for his work as well as for his economy.
“I don’t want to be part of a team that thinks the only option is to shut down and not pay our troops,” McCarthy said at a news conference after the vote. “I prefer to be part of a conservative group that wants to see problems solved.”
Migration and Ukraine
Ukraine and the southern border were points of greatest friction between Democrats and Republicans, and McCarthy ultimately decided to remove them from the playing field in order to gain bipartisan support despite the rejection of his party’s radicals.
On Friday, McCarthy tried unsuccessfully to pass a bill that would fund the administration for another month but would include restrictions on asylum programs and cuts to everything except border security. She was rejected by both Democrats and radicals in her own party.
In the last 24 hours, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, we have moved from “devastating cuts that would impact the health security and economic well-being of the American people” to a “deal on spending.” which meets the needs of people in all areas.”
“The Republican MAGA extremists (the name given to the “Make America Great Again” slogan that the former president used in his first election campaign) lost. “This was a victory for the American people and a total surrender,” he said.
They avoid closing museums and national parks
Starting tonight, the government will run out of funds, with most government offices, museums and national parks closing, and 1.3 million military personnel and hundreds of thousands of government employees losing their paychecks.
Additionally, the closure could impact the U.S. economy, reducing gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.15 to 0.2 percentage points for each extended week, according to Goldman Sachs.
What happened this Saturday will mark a turning point in McCarthy’s questioned character within the Republican Party.
Freedom Caucus and McCarthy
Many members of the Freedom Caucus opposed his appointment as House Republican Majority Leader in January and even placed conditions on his appointment, including changing the rules so that any Republican could call a vote to remove him.
In June, with the U.S. on the verge of defaulting on its national debt, McCarthy struck an agreement with President Joe Biden under which Congress allowed the administration to continue borrowing money to pay off its debts, but in exchange for specific limits on government spending.
Pro-Trump lawmakers felt betrayed by the deal and are now calling for further cuts. Specifically, they are seeking to set a government spending cap of $1.47 trillion for fiscal year 2024, representing a cut of $120 billion more than what was agreed upon. (EFE)