Congress Faces Mounting Deadlines as Ukraine and Border Issues Add to To-Do List, Only 10 Days Before Potential Govt Shutdown
The deadline for a potential government shutdown is looming, and Congress is at a standoff with no resolution in sight. Republicans are complicating the situation by insisting on border security changes as a condition for further support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, a move that Democrats have rejected. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed that Republicans do not want a government shutdown but acknowledged the challenges they face. Congress has been discussing stopgap measures to fund parts of the government until early December and the rest until mid-January. The Senate is working on a spending plan that would fund the government at current levels while considering President Joe Biden’s request for supplemental money for Ukraine, Israel, the Asia-Pacific region, and border security. However, Republicans are refusing to support Ukraine’s battle against Russia unless Biden agrees to their demands for border security changes. The White House has dismissed the Senate Republican proposal, stating that it lacks policy provisions important to Democrats. Democrats have decried the Republican proposal as a return to Donald Trump-era border policies and insisted that Ukraine should not be held up while Congress resolves border issues.
As the deadline approaches, Congress is on a tight schedule to avoid a shutdown. Without a compromise, the final products of the funding bills have not been sent to Biden to become law. The House is suggesting a two-step “laddered” approach to put a deadline on negotiations with the Senate, while some Republicans favor a stopgap funding measure. There is a greater consensus around passing a stopgap funding measure than in previous similar situations. However, the situation is still challenging, and the outcome will depend on bipartisan cooperation. Congress needs to figure out a solution to avoid a government shutdown, given the current global circumstances.
