U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks to members of the media as the deadline to avert a government shutdown approaches on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis
Ecclesiastes 5:8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still
Important Takeaways:
- Washington is closer to its fourth partial shutdown of the U.S. government in a decade with just four days to go
- That would lead to the furlough of hundreds of thousands of federal workers and the suspension of a wide range of government services
- The Senate plan, which advanced on a wide bipartisan margin on Tuesday, would fund the government through Nov. 17, giving lawmakers more time to agree on funding levels for the full fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
- House Republicans want much tougher legislation that would stop the flow of immigrants at the U.S. southern border with Mexico and deeper spending cuts than were enacted in June.
- Executive branch agencies were already making preparations for determining which federal workers would remain on the job — without pay until the government is funded — and which ones will be furloughed.
- “The Border Patrol and ICE agencies have to continue to work for nothing” during a shutdown
- The standoff comes four months after Washington flirted with defaulting on the nation’s more than $31 trillion in debt, a move that would have rocked financial markets worldwide.
- Another downgrade of the U.S. credit rating could push borrowing costs – and the nation’s debt – even higher.
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