Washington, D.C. — In an unexpected move, the House GOP leadership has postponed a key procedural vote that was set to advance a crucial stopgap measure. This proposed measure was designed to secure federal government funding through October 31.
The uncertainty looms as the fiscal deadline of midnight on September 30 draws near. Unless Congress approves an interim funding measure, the US government faces a potential shutdown. This would come at a time when many government services are needed the most due to the ongoing economic impacts of the pandemic and other national crises.
The bill, primarily negotiated by Republicans, was initially set to be voted on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET. This information was reported as per an updated legislative schedule released by Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from California showed his support for the measure, which aimed to keep the government functioning amid political strife and budgeting disagreements.
However, there was considerable opposition to the temporary funding proposition from the hard-right members of the GOP. Despite reaching a tentative agreement on Sunday, which proposed to forgo a shutdown by coupling short-term funding with spending cuts and a security measure for the border, some Republicans contested the spending measure during a conference meeting on Tuesday.
An intense opposition came from Representative Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, who fervently stated his intention to gather a coalition to overturn the measure, referred to as a continuing resolution. Gaetz expressed his preference for separate appropriation bills to fund government agencies as opposed to a singular, temporary measure. He gave a grim foreshadowing of a possible shutdown.
While the resolution could have been approved in the House on Tuesday, prospects of its passing in the Democrat-majority Senate were gloomy. With the September 30 deadline looming and only six working days left for the House, the possibility of a government shutdown intensifies.
