The US president needs a majority in both houses of parliament to avert a shutdown.
(Photo: Reuters)
Washington The US House of Representatives approved a bill to avert an impending budget freeze on Thursday (local time) by a majority. The House of Representatives, which is controlled by the Democrats, voted 221 to 212 for the bridging law, which is supposed to secure federal funding until February 18.
“This is a good compromise that gives both parties in both houses a reasonable period of time to complete negotiations on the budget,” Senate Democratic majority leader Chuck Schumer told reporters. The US Congress has averted a feared government shutdown. On Thursday, one day before the deadline, the Senate approved a transitional arrangement that will prevent government business from coming to a standstill. The members of the Chamber of Parliament also voted on Thursday evening (local time) with 69 to 28 votes for the bill.
The draft had to be approved by midnight on Friday (US East Coast local time) at the latest to prevent the government from coming to a partial standstill. Only after the Senate has passed the bill can it be signed by US President Joe Biden.
The leader of the Republican minority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, initially left open whether an expedited law process would be used in the chamber. A group of his party colleagues threatened to slow down the proposal. She wants to protest against Biden’s vaccination requirements.
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It was initially unclear whether the law would come into force before the weekend or whether there would be a temporary shutdown. McConnell himself said it would not come to that. Congress is already facing the next urgent deadline: The Treasury Department estimates that the federal debt ceiling of $ 28.9 trillion could tear in mid-December. If it is not increased, the federal government is threatened with insolvency.
The passing of the law, which is supposed to secure federal funding by mid-February, would give MPs twelve weeks to overcome their differences over twelve annual individual budgets. These belong to the fiscal year 2022, which began in the USA on October 1st. It is about $ 1.5 trillion in size.
This does not include expenses for certain federal programs such as social assistance within the framework of Social Security, which are automatically renewed. The debates in Congress will take place against the backdrop of the mid-term elections next year. The entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate will be redefined.
More: Debt ceiling already exceeded – US government threatens to default in December