The American Congress is struggling again today (13.12.2024) to reach an agreement for him budgetwhich would avoid federal government paralysis, a week before the deadline and as the end-of-year holidays approach.
Members of Congress have until the budget to approve a measure to fund, even temporarily, federal public services, without the US facing a so-called “shutdown.” The stake: to avoid the possibility of hundreds of thousands of civil servants being made redundant, social benefits being “frozen” or even some daycare centers being closed.
An extremely unpleasant situation in the USA, especially in view of the holidays.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer yesterday (12/12/2024) called for a “bipartisan partnership” to reach a deal without the surprise last-minute addition of controversial provisions. “I am glad that the talks remain constructive up to this time. Negotiators are working day and night to find an agreement,” added the Democrat.
Funding for federal agencies is a frequent bone of contention in the US, even within the Republican camp where infighting rages between moderate conservatives and Trump supporters who favor a drastic reduction of the federal government.
At the heart of the discussions ahead of December 20: more than 100 billion disaster relief dollars, which Joe Biden called for, after two devastating hurricanes in September and October. A part of this 100 billion it could be included in the temporary funding measure, but many Republicans oppose such an amount, complicating negotiations.
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, favors the adoption of a limited budget, which would ensure funding of the State only until March.
Republicans will regain control of the Senate in early January when new senators are sworn in, and Donald Trump will return to the White House on January 20.
Mike Johnson argues that a limited measure in time would allow Republicans to more quickly pass a new budget that would fund Donald Trump’s agenda, particularly on immigration deportations, oil drilling and tax cuts.