Project sets two new deadlines for Congress to discuss budget and avoid blackout; The first date is March 8th
The leaders of the US Congress agreed on a funding agreement on Wednesday (February 28, 2024) to prevent a partial government shutdown over the weekend the socalled “shutdown”, which extends the deadline for federal finances until the beginning of March. Information comes from The Washington Post.
About 20% of the federal government, including several key departments, could close at 12:01 p.m. (local time) on Saturday (March 2) if Congress does not pass new spending legislation.
The agreement between the leaders of the House and Senate would end funding for those departments, as well as the departments of Commerce, Justice and Interior, on March 8. Funding for the rest of the government, including the defense, state and health departments, would be extended until March 22.
The goal is to give lawmakers more time to finalize these agencies' full annual budgets. However, the extension proposal must be approved by the Chamber before midnight on Friday (March 1) to avoid a disruption, even if temporary.
On Tuesday (February 27), House Speaker Mike Johnson proposed the extension to Democrats, who responded positively, albeit with some conditions.
“If we need to do this to complete the process, then let’s move forward. But this practice of “belly pushing” really needs to stop,” said Senator Jon Tester, the Democratic Party’s lead negotiator.
On January 18, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that extended the deadline for submitting the US federal budget to March. Read the full text (PDF 200 kB, in English).
UNDERSTAND
In 1884, the U.S. government passed the AntiDeficiency Act, which prohibited federal agencies from spending more than permitted without congressional approval.
Therefore, the House of Representatives must pass 12 budget bills annually to finance all public spending. If this does not happen, the sectors whose spending has not been approved will come to a standstill the shutdown.
Since 1976, when the U.S. moved the start of the fiscal year to Oct. 1, the government has shut down 21 times. The most relevant were the years 1995, 2013 and 2018.
