WASHINGTON: Leaders in the US Congress slipped Sunday in their last-minute scramble to head off a pending government shutdown deadline that could shutter key services at the Transportation Department, strain food stamp initiative and put housing assistance for millions of people in jeopardy, Washington Post reported.
Already, Congress has approved stopgap spending legislation 3 times since September 30 as the US government funding debates showed internecine brawls in the House.
Similarly, US President Joe Biden summoned House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to the White House for a meeting Tuesday to discuss the shutdown deadlines and the White House’s push to approve new defense help for Ukraine.
Deal to Dodge Govt. Shutdown Seems to Stall Amid Republican Policy demands
During the talks, Biden will discuss the “urgency” of approving the aid package, which has bipartisan support, as well as lawmaking to keep the government operating through September, a White House official said.
The Republican-led House is under pressure to approve the $95 billion security package that bolsters help for Ukraine as well. That legislation has cleared the Senate on a 70-29 vote earlier, but Johnson has been resilient to putting up the aid bill for a vote in the House of Representatives.
