Congress verts government shutdown in stunning twist, passing deal with bipartisan support

Published:  02-10-2023

In Washington, Congress recently had a big argument about how to avoid a government shutdown that would affect lots of people. But finally, they agreed on a plan. This plan will keep the government running for a short time until they make a long-term spending deal.
Congress verts government shutdown in stunning twist, passing deal with bipartisan support
This surprise decision happened when the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, said he'd put a temporary plan on the table. It got approved by both the House and the Senate with most members from both political parties agreeing. President Joe Biden signed it into law.

Before this, it looked like the government might have to shut down because some members of the Republican party were fighting among themselves. Some of them wanted to cut government spending a lot and make other very conservative changes. This made it hard for them to agree with the rest of the party.

McCarthy was unsure about passing a plan that didn't include some spending cuts. But as the deadline for a shutdown got closer, he decided to support a plan that keeps government spending at its current levels. This made some conservatives angry, but almost all Democrats and many Republicans supported it.

Now, lawmakers have about 48 days to work out a more detailed plan to fund the government for a year. McCarthy said that the spending fight isn't over yet.

The Republicans who wanted deep spending cuts voted against the temporary plan. They were not happy that government spending would stay the same.

On the other hand, House Democrats, who wanted to keep funding at current levels, were happy with the temporary plan's approval.
Congress verts government shutdown in stunning twist, passing deal with bipartisan support
A small issue came up in the Senate when one senator wanted more aid to Ukraine included in the plan. But Senate leaders promised their support for Ukraine aid, so this issue got resolved.

A government shutdown would have caused problems for many families. Childcare services would be affected, federal workers would go without pay, national parks would close, and student loan delays would happen.

Mitch McConnell, a Republican senator, warned that shutdowns don't usually lead to good outcomes and can hurt his party politically. The last government shutdown lasted 35 days, making it the longest in U.S. history. It took place during former President Donald Trump's time in office, and there were two more shutdowns during his administration. Please Share This News Thank You

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