Congress avoids the partial budgetary shutdown the United States

A last-minute decision on Saturday, September 30th, prevented the partial budgetary shutdown of the United States government.

The United States Congress passed a temporary funding bill late on Saturday. The decision received overwhelming Democratic support after Republican President Kevin McCarthy backed down from an earlier demand by hardline party supporters.

The Democratic-majority Senate voted 88-9 to approve the measure, preventing the fourth partial government shutdown in a decade.

The proposal was sent to President Joe Biden for him to sign into law before the 12:01 am ET (04:01 GMT) deadline.

McCarthy abandoned the insistence of hardline party supporters that any bill be passed in the House with only Republican votes.

The House voted 335-91 to fund the government until November 17th, with more Democrats than Republicans supporting it.

The partial budgetary shutdown of the United States government has been one of the major challenges faced by the Joe Biden administration.

This decision marked a significant shift from earlier in the week when a shutdown seemed almost inevitable.

A partial budgetary shutdown of the United States government would mean that most of the 4 million government employees would not receive their pay, whether they were working or not.

Additionally, it would shut down a range of federal services, from National Parks to financial regulators.

Federal agencies had already developed detailed plans outlining which services would continue, such as airport checks and border patrols, and which would have to close, including scientific research and nutritional assistance to 7 million low-income mothers.

Partial budgetary shutdown: Pass another piece of legislation in November

Some 209 Democrats supported the bill, far more than the 126 Republicans who did, and Democrats described the outcome as a victory.

The approval of the bill also avoids, at least temporarily, numerous disruptions in air travel, as a shutdown could have caused significant delays.

During the 2019 shutdown, hundreds of Transportation Security Administration officials, who had to work without pay, called in sick.

The bill also includes a special provision to keep the Federal Aviation Administration operational.

A shutdown, coupled with the imminent expiration of a key aviation law, would have resulted in daily losses of millions of dollars and left the agency struggling to rebuild the air traffic control system.

The House of Representatives and the Senate adjourn until this Monday, and lawmakers are likely to resume negotiations when they return to the Capitol.

Thus, they will need to pass another spending bill before going home for Thanksgiving to avert another threat of a partial budgetary shutdown of the United States government.

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