Update: A last minute temporary funding bill to keep the government from a shutdown was passed Saturday but did not include aid to Ukraine at the demand of the right-wing arm of the GOP.
The hardline MAGA Republicans are still threatening to oust Speaker McCarthy for “working with Democrats”—this is a direct following of orders from Donald Trump’s demand to not cooperate in a bipartisan manner, even if it meant shutting down the government.
The hardline House Republicans have rejected another attempt, by their own party to temporarily fund the government. It’s now imminent that the federal agencies will partially shut down, possibly as soon as Sunday.
The 232-198 vote would have extended government funding by 30 days.
Hardliner, Representative Matt Gaetz among those Republicans who voted against the stopgap bill on Friday and have threatened to oust Speaker McCarthy from his leadership role if he relies on Democratic votes to avert a shutdown.
Democrats point to defiance on the part of a group of hardliner MAGA Republicans that have rejected every effort to reach a bipartisan agreement
“We’re in the middle of a Republican civil war that has been going on for months, and now threatens a catastrophic government shutdown,” top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries told reporters.
“This small coup of hardline MAGA Republicans are demanding their will and on placing the burden on the backs of hard working Americans, as well as Arizonans,” said longtime bipartisan member of staff that services both Republicans and Democrats at the Arizona State Capitol and who asked to remain anonymous over fear of retribution.
Our Arizona veterans will also be affected.
A shutdown will hurt some 1.3 million active-duty servicemembers who will work without a paycheck, including active duty Arizonans. Reportedly another 439,000 of those in U.S. Military and national security would be hit hard. According to the White House, a shutdown would be disruptive to national security.
President Biden warned that a shutdown would take a heavy toll on the armed forces.
“We can’t be playing politics while our troops stand in the breach. It’s an absolute dereliction of duty,” Biden, a Democrat, said at a retirement ceremony for top U.S. general Mark Milley.
Native Arizonan and veteran Richard Strickland now stationed outside of Arizona, told Northeast Valley News, “My family is in limbo since funds for military assignments or relocation could be halted, I may not be able to report.”
According to an NPR report, Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said, “A lack of funding also means that there are no resources for federal agencies to continue participating in federal-state-local task forces. He said this includes those working on human trafficking investigations, to disrupt terrorist operations, and crack down on drug violations.”
If Congress doesn’t act to fund the government, a shutdown would begin at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
Even though the Senate is working on a bipartisan bill to keep the government open through Nov. 17 and one that is expected to pass, the hardline Republican opposition means that time is short to pass the bill until after the deadline.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Friday that he is working on “ideas” and open to the Senate bill but only if they strip funding from the Ukraine—an unpopular move for those recently polled in Arizona and most in the U.S.
While the Senate returns at noon Saturday votes are not scheduled however leaders on both sides have been advised to be on Capitol Hill.
Reportedly, if Congress fails to pass a spending package that can be signed into law by President Joe Biden before 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, U.S. national parks will close, the Securities and Exchange Commission will suspend most of its regulatory activities, and pay for up to 4 million federal workers will be disrupted.
MAGA hardliner Republican holdouts have defied all efforts to avert a shutdown—including those made by their own party.
