Senate could vote on Wednesday to avoid government paralysis

By SudOuest.fr with AFP
Posted on 09/29/2021 at 5:55 p.m.
Updated on 09/29/2021 at 5:55 p.m.

If the United States is to avoid a historic financial crisis, the United States Senate is going to have to pass a temporary budget law, raising the debt ceiling. The decision will be rendered Thursday, September 29 at midnight (US time)

The US Senate “could” vote on a temporary budget bill on Wednesday that will then have to be approved in the wake of the House of Representatives before Friday if the United States is to avoid the paralysis of federal state services, its leader said. Democrat Chuck Schumer. Republicans broadly support this text which would extend the current budget until December 3 and should therefore be approved in the Upper House.

Last midnight

This bill will also include assistance for American states struck by natural disasters, as well as funds to help Afghan refugees settle in the United States. Parliamentarians have until midnight Thursday evening to adopt a new finance law, without which all funding for federal services will suddenly be cut (“shutdown”).

Ministries but also national parks, certain museums and a multitude of organizations would be affected, forcing hundreds of thousands of employees on technical unemployment.

“Americans don’t need government paralysis”

An instability that nobody wants in Congress while many other legislative fronts agitate Washington, between the big reforms wanted by Joe Biden and the threat of a default if the debt ceiling of the United States is not raised quickly.

But a previous version had been blocked in the Senate Monday by the Republicans because it also included the suspension of the debt limit of the United States until December 2022. The Republicans refuse to give the green light to such a measure which would return according to them to write Joe Biden a blank check, and urge Democrats to approve it on their own through a laborious parliamentary maneuver.

Joe Biden’s Finance Minister Janet Yellen warned on Tuesday that the country would run out of resources on October 18 if that cap was not raised or suspended sooner. Uncertainty remains over a possible solution in Congress.

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