Brief Overview of America: Impending U.S. Government Shutdown as Spending Bill Vote Approaches
The government faces the risk of shutdown if a budget agreement is not reached by the end of September.
The countdown to a potential U.S. government shutdown is underway, a recurring yet serious threat, as the House speaker opted to delay a vote on a temporary bill at the last minute.
Only three weeks remain, and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) postponed the vote on the spending bill on Sept. 11 due to Republican resistance, acknowledging that more work is necessary for its passage.
A stopgap bill, also known as a continuing resolution, is a short-term funding agreement to prevent shutdowns when the main fiscal bill faces disagreement. It is common for a temporary measure to be implemented while the primary fiscal bill is being negotiated.
“No vote took place today because we engage in consensus-building here in Congress, with slim majorities, as that’s the norm,” Johnson explained to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
He stated that efforts will continue over the weekend to secure enough votes for the bill’s approval.
The fiscal bill for 2025 is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 1; however, failure to reach an agreement by Sept. 30 will trigger a government shutdown.
The bill needs a majority of at least 218 House votes to pass, followed by a Senate vote and then approval by President Joe Biden. Democrats oppose the bill, and Biden has pledged to veto it.
The House speaker holds the highest position in the House of Congress, comprising the House and the Senate, where laws are created, and national policies are formed.
The House speaker is elected every two years, with the upcoming election set for January 2025.
One contentious part of the current stopgap bill is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which mandates proof of citizenship for voting registration.
Democrats strongly object to this act, claiming it would marginalize minority voters.
Government shutdowns have been frequent across various administrations since the establishment of the modern budget process in 1974, usually stemming from policy disputes between Democrats and Republicans related to spending.
Notable shutdowns include the Clinton administration’s 21-day shutdown in 1995–1996 over education, environment, and healthcare funding; the 16-day shutdown during the Obama administration in 2013, triggered by disagreements over Obama’s health care act, known as Obamacare.
The most recent and longest shutdown occurred during the Trump administration, lasting for 35 days in 2018–2019, due to disputes over funding for a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border.
This report includes contributions from Joseph Lord and Reuters.
