US govt shutdown: House panel greenlights four funding bills while Sept 30 deadline looms

The Rules Committee of the US House of Representatives, in a last-gasp effort to avoid a government shutdown after the fiscal year end on September 30, greenlit four funding bills for floor debate. This action took place during an unusual Saturday session to target funding for the fiscal year 2024, covering key departments such as Defence, Agriculture, State and Homeland Security.

However, the internal discord between far-right and moderate Republicans could jeopardise the legislation. Holding a thin majority in the House, Republicans can ill afford dissent within the party. Tensions have escalated primarily over the issue of a short-term spending bill, also known as a continuing resolution, which may become inevitable to keep federal operations running.

The possibility of a continuing resolution has divided the Republican Party. Andy Ogles, a Republican Representative, stressed the need to concentrate on passing the 12 appropriations bills.

“To talk about a CR (continuing resolution) is too premature. We have a task at hand which is to pass 12 appropriations bills and that’s what we need to focus on,” Reuters quoted him as telling reporters.

A faction of far-right Republicans, on the other hand, have been fiercely opposed to even the idea of a short-term spending bill, viewing it as an endorsement of what they consider excessive government expenditure.

While the House has so far managed to pass only one of the 12 appropriations bills for the upcoming fiscal year, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy aims to utilise these four bills as a negotiation tool with the Senate. He hopes this will afford him sufficient latitude to advance a short-term spending bill that would keep the government operational until October 31. However, a handful of Republicans have already voiced their opposition to such a measure.

This precarious state of affairs is compounded by the fact that former President Donald Trump, who is leading the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has publicly backed a shutdown. Under Trump’s tenure, the government faced closure on three separate occasions.

(With Reuters inputs)