US Congress passes bill to fund govt for 45 days, averts shutdown
US House passes bill to fund government for 45 days, sending it to the Senate.
The US House has passed a stopgap funding bill to fund the government for the next 45 days, averting the shutdown, according to media reports. The Senate also passed a last-minute spending bill on Saturday night, and then it was signed by President Joe Biden.
Kevin McCarthy, the top US House Republican could face an untimely end to his role as speaker if party hardliners oust him, for averting a costly government shutdown on Saturday with a stopgap bill that drew more support from Democrats than Republicans.
Soon after the House approved the bill, the Republican conservatives began targeting McCarthy's role as speaker, claiming he had scored a victory for the "Uniparty" of Washington.
"Should he remain Speaker of the House?" Republican Representative Andy Biggs, a leading hardliner, asked on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
McCarthy decided to bring a vote on a measure that could win Democratic support, knowing full well that it could jeopardize his job. “Go ahead and try."
Some Democrats have suggested they could support McCarthy if an ouster attempt occurred at a turbulent time. Others have suggested they could back a moderate Republican willing to share the gavel with them and allow power-sharing within House committees.
However, some also showed no interest in helping any speaker candidate aside from House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, as per Reuters reports.
A shutdown would arrive at a tenuous moment for Biden, who already faces low poll numbers and concerns about the economy as he seeks a second term in office, partially on the pitch that he offers steady stewardship in Washington.
Asked on Friday if Biden should bear any responsibility for the shutdown, White House budget director Shalanda Young said “absolutely not" and accused Republicans of being cavalier with people's lives, AP had reported.
“The guy who picks up the trash in my office won’t get a paycheck," she said. "That’s real. And that’s what makes me angry."
The current crisis is a sequel to the standoff over raising the debt limit earlier this year.
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First Published:2 Oct 2023, 06:05 AM IST
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