Prior to this Friday’s deadline for approving financing, top US senators have tentatively reached an agreement to prevent a partial government shutdown.
The remaining portion of the budget will now be prolonged to March 22 while four financing legislation will now be delayed until March 8.
“We agree that Congress needs to operate in a bipartisan fashion in order to fund our government,” a group of senior US legislators stated.
Voting on the interim bill is anticipated to begin in the House on Thursday.
In the budget talks over border security and help to Ukraine, both parties have not agreed on anything.
Democrats are up one seat in the Senate, while Republicans maintain a razor-thin majority in the House. For spending measures to pass both chambers and reach the office of the president for signature, support from both parties is necessary to keep the government of the United States operating.
Over the previous forty years, there have been ten federal government shutdowns or partial shutdowns.
Deal follows Leaders’ visit to White House
In a statement, Chuck Schumer, the majority leader in the Senate, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that it will be “decided on by the House and Senate this week.”
The challenging issue facing the House leaders is persuading rank and file legislators to back the agreement.
Right-wing politicians in the Speaker’s ranks are fiercely opposed to him. They demand expenditure cutbacks and believe that any further funding for Ukraine ought to be contingent on increased funding for US border protection.
In October, these same lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy because of their displeasure with a short-term budget agreement that McCarthy struck with Democrats.
By 12:00 (05:01 GMT) on Saturday, almost 20% of government agencies, including those in charge of veterans affairs, transportation, and agriculture, would temporarily close if a settlement is not struck.
A week later, other federal monies, including those for state departments, homeland security, and the military, will run out. National parks have closed and federal employees have gone on furloughs as a result of previous shutdowns.
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