US Government Shuts Down As Senate Fails To Agree On A New BudgetTop Stories

January 20, 2018 16:25
US Government Shuts Down As Senate Fails To Agree On A New Budget

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After almost 5 years the US Government has shut down at the stroke of midnight on Friday. Senate leaders failed to reach an agreement for a short term spending bill and the required 60 votes were not reached amid bitter exchanges between Republican and democrats on  immigration and border security.

This Federal shut down halts almost all essential operations of the government and it all comes down to a dysfunctional Washington DC.  Even the last minute negotiations failed when democrats blocked a four stop gap extension in a late night vote. This becomes the 4th Government shut down in last 25 years.  But this shut down is a first as the same party which is the republicans, control both Congress and White house.

The shut down beginning with weekend will most mute the drama its immediate effects too, only until Monday morning the effects would not be that prominent. But the critical government functions continue with some workers of the government being without pay. But if there is no deal reached hundreds and thousands of federal workers risk being Furloughed.

The US government ran out of money at midnight when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer were unsuccessful in bringing any negotiation. The shut down begins on Saturday which happens to be the first anniversary of President Trump’s Inauguration. This shows a deep political divide in Washington and his inability to strike a deal despite having a republican majority at both houses of Congress.

So now the hundreds and thousands of federal workers who are deemed non essential are put on a temporary layoff or an unpaid leave.

Trump blamed the Democrats, ” Senate Democrats own the Schumer Shutdown ,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary and, “Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country’s ability to serve all Americans”.

They further stated that immigration would not be discussed until Government was up and in action again. They further added, “We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands. This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators.”

Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, said that he believed “there is a deal in the next 24 hours because of the nature of the back and forth between the House and the Senate”

Retaliating to trump, Shumer stated, “It’s almost as if you were rooting for a shutdown and now we’ll have one and the blame should crash entirely on President Trump’s shoulders,” He further stated, “We can’t keep kicking the can down the road,” said Mr Schumer. “We’ll be right back here in a month with the same problems at our feet.”

Both Democrats and Republicans agreed to reopen negotiations on Saturday and they committed to reach an agreement. But a political defeat here can be extremely expensive to either of the parties for the upcoming mid term elections can let control of the Congress be put out in open for grabs.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, said the Democrats were holding “the entire country hostage . . . because extreme elements of their base want illegal immigration to crowd out every other priority”.

The shutdown would be seen on Morning when the federal workers would be forced to stay home without pay, and around 800,000 workers are believed to be affected by it.

During shutdown; airport security checks, food inspections, federal law enforcement, and other vital services would continue, along with Social Security and other federal benefit programs and military operations.

The last government shutdown was in 2013, and lasted for 16 days. and Trump at that time blamed Obama and stated, "The problem start from the top and have to get solved from the top. The president is the leader, and he's got to get everybody in a room and he's got to lead."

By Minu Manisha

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