Will the US Government Shutdown After 4 Years? 'A Week of Typhoons'

The deadline for the U.S. federal government shutdown, caused by political disputes over the next fiscal year's budget bill, is just one week away. The House Republican hardliners, who hold the authority to review the budget bill, are increasing pressure by linking government spending cuts to the national debt, making a dramatic compromise seem unlikely.

According to major foreign media on the 24th (local time), the U.S. Congress has not passed a single one of the 12 appropriations bills through both the House and Senate. If the budget for the next fiscal year is not processed by the 30th, before the start of the 2024 fiscal year, the U.S. federal government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. on the 1st of next month.

In this case, temporary layoffs will begin for federal employees except for essential personnel in defense, health, and transportation, and all public programs except for core services will be suspended. If the U.S. federal government enters a shutdown, it will be the first work stoppage in four years since the Donald Trump administration in 2019.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The ongoing budget negotiations have reached a deadlock as the Democratic and Republican parties have not narrowed their differences over the scale of fiscal spending. The House Republican hardliners, who hold the authority to review the budget bill, are pressuring that there will be no concessions unless next year's government spending is reduced to last year's level. They are especially taking a hard line against the Democrats by linking the budget spending to the national debt, which has soared to an all-time high of $33 trillion.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Republican) proposed a temporary budget bill to put out the fire, but it is likely to fail due to opposition from Republican hardliners. Republican hardline members are escalating conflicts by threatening to remove McCarthy from his position if he seeks bipartisan agreement or cooperates with the Democrats.

One foreign media outlet reported, "It is highly likely that the government will enter a shutdown starting from the 1st of next month as Congress is unlikely to pass the next fiscal year's budget by the end of this month."

Republican Representative Tony Gonzalez said in an interview with CBS, "I do not want to see a shutdown, but there is no doubt that Congress is heading toward a shutdown now," adding, "Everyone should prepare for it." Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, told MSNBC, "The Republicans are in extreme chaos," and "McCarthy is begging on his knees for the passage of a temporary budget bill, but he has no power to control the hardliners in his party."

President Joe Biden fiercely criticized the Republican hardliners, saying, "It is Congress's most basic duty to fund the government." At a congressional event held last weekend, President Biden emphasized, "Republican members of Congress were elected to start the work they were entrusted with by the American people," and urged, "Let's get the job done."

He added pressure by saying, "Extreme Republicans do not want to keep their promises, and now everyone in America may have to pay the price." President Biden pointed out that if a shutdown occurs, military pay, food safety, cancer research, and early childhood education programs could be affected.

If the shutdown becomes a reality, it will be another political burden for President Biden, who is already struggling with strikes by the major three automakers' unions. Plans for additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine could also be disrupted.

Furthermore, if the shutdown becomes a reality, President Biden will not be free from responsibility. The entire U.S. political sphere will reveal its inability to resolve conflicts and disputes, damaging President Biden's leadership.

President Biden, who is seeking re-election next year, has recently been trailing former President Donald Trump in several polls and is struggling against Republican candidates.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.