US shutdown: Kevin McCarthy under high pressure as hardline Republicans reject stopgap bill

The US government is on the verge of shutdown as some hard-line Republicans have rejected a bipartisan stopgap spending bill meant to give lawmakers more time to negotiate a full-year deal. If the government fails to provide funding for the fiscal year starting on Sunday, October 1, the US might go into its fourth shutdown of the decade.

Moreover, if the US government goes into a shutdown, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others will be forced to work without pay until the shutdown ends. According to media reports, this shutdown can also prove to be harmful to the US’s reputation, at a time when the Biden administration is trying to persuade many countries to side with it rather than its rival, China, and unite behind Ukraine as it battles Russia.

A last-ditch Republican funding effort collapses in the House, leaving the US government on the verge of a shutdown, reports AP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 29, 2023

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy under pressure

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy presented the stopgap bill to extend government funding to the Senate but expressed a major rejection from the hard-line conservatives on Friday. According to this bill, the federal government gets an extension of a month while enacting severe spending cuts on most federal agencies.

“We actually need a stopgap measure to allow the House to continue to finish its work – to make sure our military gets paid, to make sure our border agents get paid as we finish the job,” McCarthy said.

While talking to the reporters after this rejection, McCarthy says that he still has a few ideas left and it’s not an end yet on Friday.

White House still hopeful

The White House, however, is still hopeful that the government shutdown can be avoided if the hardline Republican lawmakers resolve the impasse.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Shalanda Young told reporters that “There is still a chance.”

“I’m still remaining an optimist that we have a day and a half to work out, in one corner, what is needed to take the deal” that Republicans in the House of Representatives have been offered by the Senate for a stopgap, she added.

If Congress cannot come up with spending measures by Saturday night, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others will be forced to work without pay until the shutdown ends.

US Shutdown and its effects

• In the event of a shutdown of the federal government, the US will be subjected to the side effects of this development. Let us now look at some of the things that will affect the United States.
• Millions of government employees risk being furloughed or having to work without pay.
• Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients will continue to receive payments, there might be a delay in response time due to furloughs.
• Medical and healthcare facilities will still be available as Medicare and Medicaid are both mandatory programs funded separately from annual appropriations.
• There might be delays however to customer service due to furloughs. Medical facilities for the veteran are still set to continue in the event of a shutdown
• The United States Postal Service will not be affected by a government shutdown as the postal service doesn’t rely on taxpayer dollars because it generally gets its funding through the sales of products and services.
• The air travel system of the country is expected to function normally as Air traffic controllers and TSA screeners are considered essential workers. However, these workers will not be paid until the shutdown ends.
• The U.S. Department said consulates in the U.S. and abroad will
• stay openly “as long as there are sufficient fees to support operations,” but passport work could stop if the building where the work is done gets shuttered
• Few of the worst affected people will be the disadvantaged class. Head Start programs serving more than 10,000 disadvantaged children would immediately lose federal funding. However, if the shit down does not last long they might be able to avoid closing down.