US senators missed the midnight deadline to pass a $1.200 billion budget bill to maintain operations in a number of important government agencies, but voted in the early hours of March 23.3 to pass the bill. according to AFP.
"It wasn't easy, but tonight our perseverance was worth it," US Senate Democratic majority leader Chuck Schumer said after hours of tense negotiations.
“It's good for the American people that we've reached a bipartisan agreement to get this done,” Mr. Schumer added before the bill received final approval.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke at a press conference in Washington DC on March 20.3
A dramatic day began in the US Congress when the House of Representatives passed a $1.200 billion budget bill at lunchtime on March 22.3, representing the largest and most controversial part of the federal budget.
With three-quarters of government agencies running out of cash at midnight, including the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the US Senate was forced to race against time to get the bill on its desk. by President Joe Biden.
But budget talks appear to be breaking down as both sides attempt to tweak the bill to reflect their campaign messages and priorities ahead of November's US presidential election. , when President Biden will rematch former President Donald Trump.
However, an agreement was reached just as the midnight deadline arrived and the US Senate voted to pass the bill after 2 a.m. March 23.3 (US time).
“The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has discontinued preparations for the shutdown because of high confidence that Congress will soon pass related appropriations and the president will sign the bill on Saturday. (March 23.3),” the White House said in a statement after the agreement was signed.
A few hours earlier, US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, angered his right-wing faction by relying on Democratic votes to bring the bill to the Senate.
The hard-line conservative Republican House of Representatives does not agree with this bill. The bill was passed with the support of 185 Democratic House members and 101 Republican House members.
The passage of the bill has caused major conflicts within the Republican Party and put Mr. Johnson at risk of losing his position as speaker of the House of Representatives.
In October 10.2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also lost his job after a group of conservative lawmakers in his party reacted angrily for passing a temporary budget to help the government escape the risk of shutdown.
