Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives Image ANP / EPA
Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has pulled the emergency brake. Hours before the government would run out of money, resulting in a so-called ‘shutdown’, the Republican reached out to the opposing party. He put a compromise to the vote, despite opposition from his far-right party colleagues.
Thanks to Democratic support, McCarthy managed to get a proposal passed on Saturday that would finance the government for 45 days. This does not include major cuts, to the anger of many Republicans. But support for Ukraine, a fervent wish of the Democrats, is also lacking.
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Thomas Rueb is a correspondent in the United States for de Volkskrant. He lives in New York. He is the author of the book Laura H.
The law must be discussed in an emergency session of the Senate, which also meets this Saturday. If enough senators vote in favor before the midnight (local time) deadline, and President Joe Biden then signs the bill, the shutdown will be averted – for the next 45 days that is.
Attack from the right
The chairman has managed to maneuver the House out of a dangerous impasse, at a time when no one really expected that from him. For weeks, McCarthy refused to make a rapprochement with the Democrats. For him, a compromise is not without risk. By giving in, McCarthy has made himself vulnerable to an attack from his own right flank.
For weeks, the chairman has been thwarted by a radical right faction within his party, led by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. In recent weeks they blocked any form of financing without major concessions. For them, a shutdown is more desirable than a compromise.
McCarthy made a different choice at the last minute. That could now cost him his hammer. Far-right Republicans are now threatening to strip him of the presidency. In exchange for their support, McCarthy previously agreed to allow any individual member to file a motion to impeach him. Presumably one of them will launch an attack on him next week when the House reconvenes.
It was the Democrats who made the decision on Saturday. McCarthy received more support for his compromise from the left (209 votes in favor) than from his own party (126 in favor). As many as 90 Republican members of Congress voted against the bill, highlighting the enormous divisions within McCarthy’s fractious majority faction.
Kevin McCarthy and Republican Representative Elise Stefanik in Washington DC Image ANP / EPA
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2023-09-30 22:03:43
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