US budget dispute
US House of Representatives votes for budget – shutdown threatens
The US House of Representatives passed a trillion-dollar budget package shortly before an impending government shutdown. photo
© Jacquelyn Martin/AP/dpa
There is a threat of a standstill in government business in the USA. The regular wrangling over the household is to blame. Now it’s up to the Senate.
It does not contain any further military aid for Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia. The approval of the Senate – the second chamber of parliament – was still pending. Without this, government business will come to a partial standstill. The vote in his chamber could cost the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, his office.
In the event of a shutdown, there are emergency plans
The impact of the so-called shutdown over the weekend would be minimal, as most government employees are off work anyway. It would be problematic if Senate approval were to drag on until next week. It can be assumed that the Senate will give the green light. The only thing that remains unclear is how long the vote in the parliamentary chamber will take. A shutdown means millions of government employees will no longer receive a salary. Many ministries and authorities have emergency plans for this eventuality. The extent to which a shutdown affects everyday life and the economy in the USA depends on its length.
It is unclear what consequences the successful vote in the House of Representatives will have for the Republican Johnson. Ultra-right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a motion Friday to oust Johnson. The budget package is a Democratic budget that they do not support. Her application was a “warning,” she said. It should be an impetus for discussions. At the same time she declared: “We need a new chairman.” The motion in itself does not mean that Johnson will lose his job. A total of 112 Republicans voted against the budget package. Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, fell over the funding issue.
Budget dispute has been going on for months
The arguments over the budget have been going on for months. Around two weeks ago, the US Congress passed an initial budget package that ensures the financing of a number of ministries and federal agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year. As a rule, Congress agrees on a large budget package to finance government operations – this should actually have been passed last fall. However, the divided Republicans resisted this – they now split the budget into two packages. In the meantime, Congress passed several interim budgets to prevent government business from coming to a standstill.
Republicans and Democrats agreed on the current package at the beginning of the week. It contains significant funds for defense and also finances, among other things, the Ministry of Homeland Security and the Ministry of Labor. Both budget packages together amount to 1.66 trillion US dollars. The future of new financial aid from the USA for other countries such as Ukraine is still unclear. The Senate voted in February for an aid package that provides around $60 billion in support for Ukraine. However, the approval of the House of Representatives is still pending.