Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Budget Priorities, Risking Government Shutdown

Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash over Budget Priorities as Government Shutdown Looms

Washington, DC – In a battle of priorities, the ruling and opposition parties are at odds over the spending items to be included in the budget bill, with the risk of fiscal funds running out and a potential government shutdown if Congress fails to pass a new fiscal year budget by the end of September. On May 22nd, President Biden and opposition Republican House Speaker McCarthy announced a new fiscal year budget that would require government spending of $1.59 trillion to address the debt ceiling and avoid defaulting on the national debt. However, House Republicans are calling for deeper cuts, aiming to shrink the size of the federal government and reduce the deficit, which has skyrocketed due to the pandemic.

One of the main points of contention is defense spending. The proposed budget would keep spending levels at a similar amount to the current levels, adjusting for inflation. However, House Republicans insist on further cuts, suggesting a reduction of $120 billion, or 7.6%, in spending by government agencies. It is important to note that this amount represents a small fraction of the $6.4 trillion budget, and Republicans have not proposed any cuts to Social Security or Medicare. President Biden has urged McCarthy to stick to the original agreement and has threatened to veto the Republican proposal.

Another area of disagreement is immigration and border management. House Republicans argue that any budget bill to avoid a government shutdown must include new immigration restrictions, in light of the recent surge of migrants at the US-Mexico border. Some of their proposals include resuming construction of the border wall, regulating asylum seekers, and increasing border control personnel and their compensation. While President Biden also seeks additional funding for border control, the ruling Democratic Party opposes the Republican proposal, considering it too harsh.

There is also a clash regarding aid to Ukraine. President Biden is requesting an additional $24 billion, on top of the $113 billion already provided, to assist Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia. The spending bill, which received bipartisan support in the Senate, includes $6 billion in aid, with the potential for more assistance in the future. Nevertheless, certain House Republicans are prepared to vote against any bill that includes further aid to Ukraine.

Disaster support is another area of concern. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has warned Congress that funding to assist victims of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, is approaching depletion. While the spending bill includes $6 billion for disaster aid and has gained bipartisan support in the Senate, some House Republicans are worried it may face opposition if bundled together with aid for Ukraine.

The parties are also divided over social issues. House Republicans have proposed spending bills that encompass conservative policies addressing matters such as abortion and race. Some of these proposals include banning the sale of the oral abortion drug mifepristone in pharmacies and restricting Department of Defense employees from undergoing surgery in states where abortion is legal. Additionally, the Department of Defense would be prohibited from implementing racial diversity programs, and limitations would be placed on school education regarding racial issues.

Adding to the complexity of the situation is the shadow of former President Trump. Trump previously urged Republicans in Congress to decrease funding for the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He is currently facing federal charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and allegedly stealing classified documents. Although some of Trump’s allies in the House of Representatives support budget cuts for these departments, no formal proposals to decrease their budgets have been brought forth in the House. Concerns arise that such cuts may lead to a government shutdown, further exacerbating the ongoing conflict between the ruling and opposition parties.

With time running out and the threat of fiscal funds depletion and a government shutdown looming, the ruling and opposition parties need to find common ground and prioritize the needs of the nation. Failure to reach an agreement could have severe consequences for the functioning of the government and the delivery of essential services to the American people.

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By Andy, Political Analyst

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The ruling and the opposition parties remain at odds with the priorities of spending items to be included in the budget bill, despite the risk that fiscal money will run out and that the government could close if Congress does not the US passes a new fiscal year budget. by the end of September. Picture taken on the 22nd in Washington, DC (2023) Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

[ワシントン ２７日 ロイター] – The ruling and the opposition parties are contrary to the priorities of spending items to be included in the budget bill, despite the fact that if the US Congress does not pass a new fiscal year budget by the end of September, fiscal funds will be depleted. and there is a risk of a government shutdown.

The main points of contention are as follows.

◎ Defense with government spending

In May, President Biden and opposition Republican House Speaker McCarthy announced that the new fiscal year budget would require government spending of 1.59 trillion yen as part of a deal to end the debt ceiling and avoid a default on the national debt. dollar. This amount is roughly the same as current levels and will decrease in real terms due to inflation.

But House Republicans have called for deeper cuts, saying Congress must do more to shrink the size of the federal government and rein in the deficit, which has risen dramatically since the coronavirus pandemic. He is pushing a bill that would reduce spending by government agencies by $120 billion, or 7.6%, from current levels.

This is a relatively small amount of the total $6.4 trillion budget, and Republicans have not proposed any cuts to Social Security or Medicare.

But Mr. Biden has encouraged Mr. McCarthy to stick to the original agreement. The White House said Biden would veto the Republican proposal.

◎Immigration and border management issues

House Republicans say any budget bill aimed at avoiding a government shutdown must include new immigration restrictions to deal with the current surge of people trying to immigrate at the US-Mexico border.

Specifically, they propose (1) resuming construction of the border wall with Mexico, a signature policy of former President Trump, (2) regulating asylum seekers, and (3) increasing border control personnel and raising their compensation—etc.

Biden has also called for more money for border control. However, the ruling Democratic Party opposes the Republican proposal, saying it is too harsh.

◎ help Ukraine

Biden is asking Congress to include an additional $24 billion in aid, on top of the $113 billion already given to Ukraine as it fights back against Russia.

The spending bill, which received bipartisan support in the Senate, includes $6 billion in aid and leaves room for more aid after the fact.

However, some Republicans in the House are ready to vote against any bill that includes additional aid to Ukraine.

◎ Disaster support

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is warning Congress that funding to help victims of natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires will soon end.

The spending bill, which includes $6 billion in disaster aid, has received bipartisan support in the Senate, but some House Republicans fear it will be opposed if it is bundled with aid to Ukraine.

◎Response to social issues such as abortion and race

House Republicans have proposed several spending bills that include conservative policies to address social issues. (1) Ban the sale of the oral abortion drug mifepristone in pharmacies; (2) Prohibit the Department of Defense from paying travel expenses for its employees to undergo surgery in states where abortion is legal; and (3) the Department of Defense banning the sale of the oral abortion drug mifepristone, including banning the implementation of racial diversity programs, and (4) limiting school education on racial issues.

◎ Shadow of Trump

Mr Trump has previously urged Republicans in Congress to reduce funding for the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is currently being indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and stealing classified documents.

Some of Trump’s allies in the House of Representatives have expressed support for cutting the budgets of the Department of Justice and the FBI, but the House has not formally considered any proposals to reduce these budgets, and there are concerns that it would lead to a government shutdown. is a major problem in the current conflict between the ruling and opposition parties.

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Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Andy covers politics and policy in Washington. His work has been cited in Supreme Court briefs, political attack ads and at least one Saturday Night Live skit.

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