The House and the Democratic-controlled Senate are due to be in session for about 12 days before funding expires on Sept. 30, leaving little time to agree on a package of 12 appropriations bills that can pass each chamber and win Democratic President Joe Biden’s signature.

The main bone of contention among House Republicans is a demand by roughly three-dozen members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus to cut spending for fiscal 2024 to $1.47 trillion – about $120 billion less than Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed in May.

The White House and Senate leaders – including top Republican Mitch McConnell – have rejected that demand.

That dispute and other hardline demands, including opposition to Ukraine aid and calls for an impeachment inquiry against Biden, could imperil efforts to pass a short-term stopgap, known as a continuing resolution or “CR,” which would keep federal agencies afloat while lawmakers debate full-scale appropriations.

  • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
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    1 year ago

    This is an annual occurrence now. It’s just break time for senators while they get to point fingers. You’re right on all accounts here. We should have term limits on these senators and get some new people who may actually want to… idk… govern or something

    • bennel@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      In Canada and the UK, if the government fails to pass a budget, it triggers an automatic vote of no confidence, parliament is dissolved, and it triggers a general election.

      US politicians do not suffer any consequences for failing to do their job.

    • CherenkovBlue@iusearchlinux.fyi
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      1 year ago

      It’s the House that is the problem right now. The Senate might actually ram a bipartisan spending bill down their throats, they are apparently tired of this shit as well.

    • bobman@unilem.org
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      1 year ago

      Let’s just do direct voting.

      Solves so many problems when people get to directly vote on the problems that matter to them.