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WASHINGTON: Hard-line conservatives on Friday tanked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s long-shot bid to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown, in an extraordinary display of defiance that made it clear that Congress would almost certainly miss a midnight deadline Saturday to keep federal funding flowing.
It appeared evident even before the vote that the stopgap bill was bound to fail, as several hard-right Republicans had declared that they would not back a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, under any circumstances. And the measure – which would slash spending and impose severe immigration restrictions – never had a chance of preventing a shutdown, since it was regarded as a nonstarter in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
But McCarthy, bracing for political blowback for a government closure, had scheduled it anyway in hopes of showing he was trying to avoid the crisis. The bill failed by a vote of 232-198, with 21 Republicans joining all Democrats to oppose it.
While all critical government services would remain functioning, a shutdown would mean the majority of national parks, for example – from the iconic Yosemite and Yellowstone in the west to Florida’s Everglades swamp – would be closed to public access beginning Sunday.
With student loan payments resuming in October, officials also said Friday that key activities at the Federal Student Aid office would continue for a couple of weeks. But a prolonged shutdown could cause bigger disruptions.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned a closure could also delay infrastructure improvements. nyt & afp
It appeared evident even before the vote that the stopgap bill was bound to fail, as several hard-right Republicans had declared that they would not back a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, under any circumstances. And the measure – which would slash spending and impose severe immigration restrictions – never had a chance of preventing a shutdown, since it was regarded as a nonstarter in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
But McCarthy, bracing for political blowback for a government closure, had scheduled it anyway in hopes of showing he was trying to avoid the crisis. The bill failed by a vote of 232-198, with 21 Republicans joining all Democrats to oppose it.
While all critical government services would remain functioning, a shutdown would mean the majority of national parks, for example – from the iconic Yosemite and Yellowstone in the west to Florida’s Everglades swamp – would be closed to public access beginning Sunday.
With student loan payments resuming in October, officials also said Friday that key activities at the Federal Student Aid office would continue for a couple of weeks. But a prolonged shutdown could cause bigger disruptions.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned a closure could also delay infrastructure improvements. nyt & afp
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