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House Republicans all but guaranteed a government shutdown Saturday after conservatives blocked a short-term plan to keep the government funded until Oct. 31.
With less than 48 hours until the deadline for funding federal agencies, the Republican Party is trying to find a deal that will prevent widespread chaos and disruption across the country.
Twenty-one hardline Republican members of Congress sided with all Democrats to vote no on a party-line plan that would have cut spending by $1.471 trillion and strengthened border security.
It was a brutal defeat for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who faced brutal criticism from his party’s right.
Even if the bill had passed, it would not have prevented a shutdown: It would never have been taken up in the Senate, which is working on its own bipartisan measure that McCarthy rejected.
However, it would have been a starting point between the proposals of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The government funding expires at midnight on Saturday.
Those who voted against the bill insist the only way forward is through 12 spending bills for the 2024 fiscal year.
The failed vote was a brutal defeat for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who faced brutal criticism from his party’s right.
House Republicans will now meet for an emergency meeting of the entire conference at 4 p.m.
‘It’s not the end yet. I have other ideas,” McCarthy told reporters after the failed vote. The House of Representatives will now vote on Saturday, but it is not yet clear what.
Some have suggested that the real deadline to get anything done is now October 13, the date when service members would miss their first paycheck.
For now, federal workers deemed “essential” are being forced to work without pay. Those deemed non-essential will be dismissed.
Members of Congress and the president will continue to get paid, although many have said they do not want to receive a salary. Many of their staffers will continue to work without pay, but will receive back pay if a deal is struck.
Others, such as janitors and cafeteria workers employed by outside contractors, will likely be fired without back pay.
A frustrated McCarthy had previously said he would put the bill aside regardless of whether or not it had the votes to pass.
‘Each member will have to record where he or she stands. Are they prepared to secure the border? Or will they side with President Biden on an open border and vote against a measure to keep the government open?” he said.
Meanwhile, the Senate is pushing forward with its own version of a continuing resolution, which has the support of both Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
The Senate CR has money for Ukraine and no border provisions, and McCarthy has said he will not bring this up in the House of Representatives in its current form.
The speaker celebrated victory Thursday evening in the passage of three appropriations bills: state foreign operations, homeland security and defense. That brings the total to four of the 12 appropriations bills, none of which will pass the Senate.
“Last night the House did something that none of you here thought we could do.”
“Need I remind you how much the Senate passed? Zero,” he added.
The speaker has presented the CR as the only way to secure the border amid a new wave of migrants crossing the border. He noted that there have been 50,000 illegal crossings in the past five days.
“I can’t understand why anyone would side with President Biden and keep the border open,” he said. ‘We’ll see when the vote comes. If those people vote like that, you have to ask them that question.’
Meanwhile, the White House claims that 10,000 children would lose access to Head Start programs across the country because the Department of Health and Human Services is not awarding grants during a shutdown.
They argue that nearly 7 million women and children could lose access to WIC, the nutritional assistance program, without new funding.
The National Institutes of Health would likely lay off most of its staff, delaying new clinical trials and medical treatments.
All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closing their doors. National parks may remain open, but may not have visitor services such as restrooms and park directors.
Potential delays loom on the horizon for customer service at Medicare and Social Security, although payments should remain unaffected because these programs are funded with permanent, not annual, appropriations.