In Washington After a month-long summer break, the divided House reconvenes this week with a heavy list of duties to complete in order to keep the federal government running.
The government must be funded by the deadline of September 30 to avoid a shutdown. While Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s right-wing members rebel against a short-term resolution.
To prevent a shutdown and buy more time for negotiations, the two chambers of the Democratically-led Senate are far from agreement when they reconvene on Tuesday.
When a restless conservative wing of the slim House GOP majority tries to exercise its muscle on probes and influence the must-pass bills.
Tt may collide with a House Republican impeachment investigation into President Joseph Biden, further complicating matters.
Impeachment threats and shutdown fears
McCarthy, a Republican from California, said last week on Fox News that an impeachment investigation is a “logical step ahead” and cautioned.
That a government shutdown may impede ongoing GOP investigations into Biden, his administration, and his son Hunter’s financial affairs.
“If we stop working, everything in the government stops working, including the inquiry. The American people are harmed, he claimed.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said she won’t support any financing measure until the House votes to formally launch.
An impeachment investigation into the president, despite the fact that House Republicans have not shown evidence of Biden’s wrongdoing.
In a video she released online, Greene informed her supporters.
“I’ve already decided: I will not vote to finance the government unless we have passed an impeachment inquiry on Joe Biden.”
The White House, which is bolstering its war room to ward against potential impeachment, quickly reacted to the statements.
White House spokesman Ian Sams issued a statement in which he said that if Speaker McCarthy moves forward with an impeachment “simply to throw red meat to the right wing.
As a condition for or distraction from far-right GOP efforts to shut down the government, it will prove once and for all this is a baseless, politically-motivated exercise not rooted in evidence and not about getting to the truth.”
McCarthy also has to contend with calls from the far-right to remove federal funds for the three prosecutors who have indicted former President Donald Trump.
Who is currently the front-runner in the polls for the 2024 GOP primary, and to include conservative immigration policies.
The deadline to avoid a shutdown falls on the same day.
That the Federal Aviation Agency must be reauthorized and a new agriculture bill must be passed. In the wake of the Maui fires and Hurricane Idalia. Congress will also need to consider how to proceed with aid to Ukraine and disaster relief.
Senate reconvenes, prioritising government financing
Tuesday’s opening of the Senate will centre on “funding the government and preventing House GOP extremists. From triggering a government shutdown,” according to a statement.
Patty Murray, D-Washington, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairs and vice chairs of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Received accolades from Schumer for shepherding through all 12 appropriations measures with strong bipartisan support.
We cannot afford to risk that progress because Trump Republicans want to play political games, Schumer stated. “Our economy is gaining speed because of what we accomplished last year.
“Passing bipartisan appropriations legislation is the only way to prevent a shutdown. Therefore, I have pleaded with the House Republican leadership to do the same.”
Meanwhile, the House is pushing financing legislation without Democratic backing that reduces spending below a previous budget agreement.
Impeachment threats and shutdown fears
Along with a number of conservative policy elements and items that roll back some of Biden’s agenda. The House returns to session the following week.
In the Fox News interview, McCarthy stated that “changing Washington” was one of their objectives. We won’t have enough time.
To pass all the appropriation legislation by September 30. So, I genuinely want a temporary CR just to strengthen our case.
Yet, it has been made clear that the extreme right-wing House Freedom Caucus. Will not back a short-term financing package unless it contains conservative policy elements that have no chance in hell of passing the Senate.
McCarthy could get around them and get Democratic votes to pass it. But the right-wing faction has threatened to remove him as speaker if he does.
The next debates in September, according to Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the Freedom Caucus, “aren’t going to be nice.”
At a Kentucky rally last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. A Republican, cautioned that the House GOP plan for government funding would not survive in the upper chamber.
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