Receive free updates on the U.S. government shutdown
we will send you myFT Daily Digest Email summary of latest news U.S. government shutdown There is news every morning.
House Republican dissidents vetoed the party’s own temporary funding bill, dealing a heavy blow to Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is expected to shut down parts of the U.S. government starting Sunday.
In a tight vote on Friday, 21 Republican rebels voted against McCarthy’s bill that would defund the government for 30 days, joining all Democrats in opposing the bill because it includes deep cuts to government programs.
The final vote showed 232 House members opposed the bill, while only 198 supported it — a humiliating result for McCarthy that further complicates prospects for a deal to avert a government shutdown. and will cast new doubts about his ability to remain speaker.
Congressional dysfunction has embroiled the world’s largest economy as political tensions rise in the 2024 election year.
A possible government shutdown on Sunday would furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers, furlough troops and shut down a wide range of government services. With no quick political solution in sight, it could take days or even weeks to play out.
This political dynamic echoes the 1995 shutdown under Bill Clinton and the 2013 shutdown under Barack Obama, when hard-line Republicans took advantage of government-funded legislation regular deadlines, forcing a Democratic president to accept deep spending cuts and other conservative policies.
This year, McCarthy has been pulled to the right by members of a staunch conservative base, mostly allies of former President Trump. They want cuts to federal programs and aid to Ukraine — demands that are unacceptable to Democrats — and believe McCarthy has not been aggressive enough in budget discussions.
Some openly threatened to oust McCarthy. The level of Republican opposition to Friday’s legislation will daunt the speaker. In addition to his biggest internal enemies such as Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, the bill also faces opposition from some moderate lawmakers such as Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
Ahead of the vote, President Joe Biden blasted the Republican disarray.
“If the House cannot perform its most basic functions and cannot fund the government by tomorrow, we will be failing all of our troops,” he said at a Pentagon event on Friday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen added warnings about the economic impact in a speech at the Port of Savannah, Georgia.
“Failure by House Republicans to act responsibly will hurt American families and create economic headwinds that undermine the process we are charting,” she said.
For Biden, the shutdown will provide a new political opportunity to paint Republicans as reckless in government and in thrall to Trump as the White House tries to push back against right-wing extremism on everything from abortion to democratic norms to economic policy ism, which will become the theme of Biden’s campaign speeches. campaign.
But the shutdown also poses some political risks for the president, especially if extending it while his approval ratings are already low causes significant damage to the economy.
A possible path to a deal could emerge if the Senate reaches a bipartisan agreement to continue funding the government, forcing McCarthy to bring it to the House for a vote. Democrats are also likely to vow to protect McCarthy’s speakership if it comes to a vote, but that could further damage his credibility among Republicans.
Svlook
