‘Govt shutdown’: Democrats warn as budget battle with Republicans intensifies

Last week, Republicans organised votes on gun-related issues and the censure of Rep. Adam Schiff, a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump. While it worked as the legislative process saw some development. However, despite some 20 Republicans lending support to Schiff, the censure attempt ultimately fell short.

Republicans said they plan to pursue appropriations bills, which fund government programs and agencies, with less spending than the top-line numbers they agreed to in a deal with the White House last month. That compromise avoided what would have been an unprecedented federal default.

McCarthy argued that the numbers he negotiated with the White House amount to a cap and “you can always do less.” GOP Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who leads the House Appropriations Committee, followed with a statement that said she would seek to limit nondefense spending at 2022 budget levels, saying the debt agreement “set a top-line spending cap -– a ceiling, not a floor.”

While the announcement was welcomed by the Republicans, it drew immediate opposition from Democrats who warn that attempting to bypass the debt ceiling agreement‘s set limits will inevitably result to a confrontation with the Senate and White House, which could potentially result in a government shutdown when funding expires this year.

“It is a prelude to a shutdown — what they are engineering,” said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. While partial government shutdowns have been common in the United States, the longest has been under the 45th President, Donald Trump, over the US-Mexico wall to stop the influx of the immigrants.

Democrats have accused the Republicans of going back on their word. But Republicans have said that Senator McCarthy said the spendings have to come down, while also arguing that the US was in debt crisis.

Rep. Steny Hoyer said, “Do you think any of us would have made a deal if we thought your ‘22 number was the deal? What kind of deal is that? What kind of respect for yourselves is that?”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said, “You knew that wasn’t a ceiling. Traditionally, that’s where we are starting. Caps are not ceilings in our world. They are a starting point and then we negotiate from those numbers we have agreed to. That’s how it has always been.”

Rep. Andy Harris said, “We can try to fool the American people with smoke and mirrors and pretend, but the speaker was clear. We are in a debt crisis in this country.”

(With AP inputs)

Updated: 17 Jun 2023, 07:34 PM IST