Is the longest budget shutdown in US history coming to an end? 41 days after the start of what was synonymous with the suspension of certain federal public services deemed “non-essential”, the US Senate passed a bill allowing the resumption of budget checks and the possible lifting of the blockade. “It seems we are getting closer to the end of the shutdown”President Donald Trump commented to the press on Sunday, without elaborating on the matter. European stock markets welcomed the news Monday morning, opening sharply higher.
Several votes to pass
The motion, which passed with 60 votes – the minimum required – 40, includes new transition measures that would fund the government until January 30, 2026, as well as three separate budget bills intended to cover programs related to agriculture, military construction and the legislature.
The law also regulates the cancellation of layoffs of civil servants carried out during the closure and payment of salary arrears for those who were given forced leave. Republican senators have also pledged to allow a vote in December on extending health care reimbursements for a year, a move favored by Democrats.
However, several steps still need to be taken for the constraints on American governance to be fully lifted: a final vote on the finance bill in the Senate, its subsequent adoption by the House of Representatives and eventual signing by American leaders. This entire procedure can take several days and there is no certainty that it will be completed. Because the Senate has to “agreed, unanimously, to waive certain procedural steps that could delay the process”explain Wall Street Journal.
Reversed by seven Democrats
This temporary agreement was able to be passed thanks to the support of seven Democratic Party senators and one independent senator. Meanwhile, to date, all members of the Democratic Party are united, systematically opposing the bill proposed by the Republican Party – 12 votes have been rejected since September. A union that finally broke down on Sunday.
Signs of fractures have begun to appear in the last few days. Democrats have debated at length privately whether to extend the budget suspension or quickly find a bipartisan compromise, the New York Times. Some centrists have been more staunch in defending the idea of ending the paralysis of public services because of its dangerous consequences, including threats to food aid payments, which affect 42 million Americans, and air traffic chaos – more than 2,700 canceled flights and 10,000 delays as of Sunday in the country. In contrast, many Democrats want to keep up the pressure, believing that their party’s victories in recent elections demonstrate voter support for their cause.
A small group eventually broke away. “This bill is not perfect, but it is an important step forward in mitigating the negative impacts of the blockade”said Illinois senator and number two Democrat, Richard J. Durbin, in a statement explaining his support for the agreement. A defection that was condemned by some of his colleagues.
Health is at the heart of the debate
If the Democratic Party persisted for so long against its opponents, it did so in the hope of forcing the government to bow down on the issue of health care spending. And more specifically, the extension of tax credits that were supposed to expire at the end of the year was included in the American budget, within the framework of the “Affordable Care Act” – a law nicknamed “Obamacare”. Without an extension of these federal subsidies, 20 million Americans would see their insurance premiums increase, according to the data Wall Street Journal.
This issue is the main problem between the two parties. But U.S. senators have recently offered some resistance to Trump, weighing in on the decisions of seven dissenting Democrats. They, on the one hand, proposed new reforms in the health system that they said would, “to offer consumers more choice and control inflation in health costs”according to the American Daily. And most importantly, they committed to a vote in December that would allow Congress to decide on extending tax credits for health insurance. Except given the large strength of the Republican Party among lawmakers, it is unlikely that this law will pass, thereby strengthening the anger of Democrats who want to maintain the blockade.
However, there is no certainty about this, as questions about health weigh heavily on public opinion, and Americans say they are concerned about the cost of medical care, reports the New York Times in another article. “Democrats and Republicans will now be forced to take steps that might lessen the fallout or meet the expectations of voters who, according to polls, are overwhelmingly supportive.”predicted the American media. To be continued…
