Many US government services are in danger of having to shut down within a few days due to the lack of agreement on a new budget. To prevent this alleged closure, politicians must reach an agreement this week. But discussions about this are difficult.
The budget year in the United States begins on October 1. This means that an agreement must be reached by the end of Saturday, September 30, at the latest. Otherwise, the US government will have to cut spending. Then millions of civil servants will temporarily not get any money.
An agreement seems far-fetched. This is mainly because some House Republicans are sticking to their guns. Party members oppose the current budget plans.
A majority of Democrats and Republicans support these plans. But the rebellious part of the Republican Party says it is pushing for the departure of Republican President Kevin McCarthy if he tries to gain a majority through the Democratic Party.
Wages are not paid
Therefore, the two parties are urgently looking for other ways to reach an agreement. If this is not achieved by Saturday evening, only essential government services will remain open from Sunday.
Border guards, rescuers, and national security components, among others, are still active. Other services, such as city halls and supervision of natural parks, must stop. Part of the army will also be sent home and waste will not be collected.
Millions of Americans will then temporarily not receive a paycheck. Once the shutdown ends, they will continue to receive unpaid wages.
In the past, it was common for US government services to close their doors. This has happened about ten times since 1980. The longest lasted 35 days and occurred in the winter of 2018/2019.
Correction: An earlier version of this article said a shutdown was threatened by the debt ceiling. this is not true. It’s about reaching an agreement on the budget.
