The United States will remain in a situation of budget paralysis at least until next week after the failure of Friday, October 3, a vote in the Senate on a fourth budget proposal presented by the Republicans of Donald Trump.
Due to the blockade in Congress, the United States has been in the “closing” situation since Wednesday. Federal administrations stop and several hundred thousand public officials, with functions considered “not session” are unemployed. Tourist sites such as the Washington monument in the Federal Capital are closed, while public service users face disturbances.
Another consequence of this situation: the publication of the monthly employment report in September did not take place on Friday, which deprives the first world economy of an important thermometer.
Several weeks of “closing”
Senate leaders said they had no intention of sitting over the weekend and that many analysts believe that the crisis should last. “It is possible that this ‘closure’ continues for weeks, and not just a few days,” said Andrew Koneschusky, former spokesman for Senator Chuck Schumer, head of the Democratic minority in the Senate.
Republicans offer a simple extension of the current budget until the end of November, when the Democrats require the extension of public health insurance programs for the most disadvantaged, denouncing clear cuts in health expenses decided by the Trump administration.
“This madness must end,” said White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt on Friday. “President Trump and Republicans ask that the Democrats reopen the administration immediately on behalf of the American public.”
The “closures” are very unpopular in the United States and the presidential field expects a sufficient number of Democratic senators to eventually vote in favor of their text. “We hope that during the weekend I will have the opportunity to reflect,” said Senate Republican leader John Thune.
Five missing Democrats
Majority in the Senate, Republicans must convince eight Democrats to cross the 60 votes necessary for the adoption of the budget. Only three had joined them during the last votes.
Each camp strives while waiting to reject the responsibility of the blockade in the other: the White House accuses the Democrats of bringing the government to “hostages” to obtain free medical care for immigrants, a lie according to the opposition, which denounces the refusal of Republicans to reduce the cost of health.
A survey published Thursday by the Washington Post shows that, of 1,000 Americans questioned, 47% attributes the responsibility of “closing” to Donald Trump and the Republicans, and 30% points to the finger of the role of the Democrats.
The president threatened to take advantage of the situation to “get rid of” democratic agencies, described as “political scam.”
The last “closure” in the United States occurred from December 2018 to January 2019, during the first mandate of the Republican in the White House. He had lasted 35 days, a record.
Source: BFM TV
