If the resolution did not pass the Upper House, federal agencies would suspend their activities at midnight this Friday (17.nov)
The US Senate approved on Wednesday (15.Nov.2023) a law that extends funding for President Joe Biden’s government. The text went for presidential sanction a few days before the deadline, which would expire at midnight on Friday (Nov 17).
Approval of expenses, by 87 votes to 11avoid the shutdown, that is, the total shutdown of the North American government, including the closure of federal agencies, and that essential groups, such as the military, had to work without pay. Here’s the full text (PDF – 272 kB).
Authored by the new president of the House, Republican Mike Johnson, the continuing resolution (CR in English) does not include major spending cuts, as Republican deputies wanted. As it was more moderate, it attracted Democrats and was approved in the Lower House on Tuesday (14.nov). It also secured bipartisan support in the Senate.
The resolution is a measure to prevent the North American government from paralyzing, as it has not yet approved next year’s Budget.
According to the text, resources will be provided until January 19, 2024 for North American agencies and programs provided for in the following 4 laws for the 2023 fiscal year:
- Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act;
- Energy and Water Development Act and Related Agency Appropriations;
- Military Construction Act, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agency Appropriations; It is
- Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
For other federal institutions, the proposal extends the extension of the payment of funds until February 2, 2024.
On September 30, the North American Congress approved a proposal that extended the payment of resources. The legislation prevented the shutdown started from October 1st, the start of the 2024 fiscal year, and continued activities until this Friday (Nov 17).
SHUTDOWN
In 1980, then US Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti reformed the Anti-Deficiency Act, enacted in 1884, prohibiting federal agencies from spending more than allowed without prior approval from Congress.
Therefore, annually, the Chamber has to approve 12 appropriations laws to finance public spending by federal departments. If this does not happen, sectors that did not have their expenses approved will come to a standstill – the shutdown.
Since 1976, when the U.S. changed the start of the fiscal year to October 1, the government has already stopped 21 times. Among these, the most relevant were in 1995, 2013 and 2018.
In 1995, during the government of then President Bill Clinton, activities were suspended due to 21 days. Disagreements over budget cuts between the Democrat and House Speaker Newt Gingrich led to the shutdown.
In 2013, the Republican-led Congress attempted to use negotiations on Affordable Care Actpopularly known as ObamaCare –legislation approved by former president Barack Obama so that more people could have access to health plans– as a bargaining “currency” for approval of financing.
At the time, the Obama administration did not accept that funds were withdrawn from the program and Congress did not reach a consensus. As a result, public services were paralyzed by 16 days.
At the end of 2018, the government entered into shutdown during 35 days (34 full days)until the beginning of 2019. Then-president Donald Trump refused to sign the appropriations bill if $5.7 million for construction of the wall between the US and Mexico border was not included.
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