US govt shutdown looms as lawmakers squabble

WASHINGTON: The threat of a US federal government shutdown loomed larger on Wednesday as the lawmakers failed to reach a budget agreement with just two days to go before the funding runs out.

Congress has until Friday night to come up with a new budget to avoid a sudden stoppage of most so-called non-essential federal government operations, putting hundreds of thousands of workers on furlough without pay.

Various administrative offices, national parks, museums and dozens of other services would see their congressional authorisation to spend money stop at the end of Friday.

During the winter 2018/19 shutdown, which was the longest in the US history at about five weeks, security lines at airports were even affected.

Despite deep partisan divisions, the majority of both Republican and Democratic lawmakers hope to avoid a repeat of that scenario, which could wreak havoc ahead of the holidays. But a handful of Republicans, many of whom are supporters of former president Donald Trump, are refusing to agree to the budget because they say it would contribute to the imposition of vaccine mandates ordered by President Joe Biden.

In a statement on Wednesday, the House Freedom Caucus asked their Senate colleagues to “use all procedural tools at your disposal to deny timely passage” of any budget agreement that funds vaccine mandates or their enforcement.

Several Democrats expressed their frustration at the partisan stalemate, especially as the first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant was confirmed in the United States.

“As we head into winter and brace for the effects of the new Omicron variant, it would be negligent to shut down our government, all in the name of fighting a vaccine requirement designed to boost vaccination rates and save lives,” Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said.

Congressional budget agreements have often been made at the last minute in recent years, but as concerns grow that the lawmakers may miss the deadline, economists have warned of the potential consequences of a looming shutdown.

A week of shutdown would cost the US economy some $6 billion, according to a report by the Oxford Economics group.

Also Read

US govt boosts economic growth in Pakistan’s agricultural sector

KARACHI: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) director for the Office...