After Senate Republicans voted to block a spending bill to keep the government from closing, Biden signs a bipartisan resolution to extend the fiscal calendar.
Senate Republicans voted to block a resolution passed by the House of Representatives to keep the federal government open through December on Sept. 30. The attempt to revise the terms and conditions of the fiscal calendar for the new fiscal year failed.
An ending to the affair was formally documented on Thursday evening when President Biden signed a bipartisan resolution, temporarily extending the fiscal calendar, to avert a shutdown until December.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, drafted by House Democrats, that was vetoed this week would have been the biggest spending resolution in the history of the United States, and Republican lawmakers expressed their dissent.
“[Democrats] are in the midst of an absolutely unprecedented, very damaging spending spree on a scale that we have never seen,” said Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA).
At the same time, Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) voiced her favor of the bill.
“If the vote were to fail tomorrow or be delayed, there would be a significant breach of trust that would slow the momentum in moving forward in delivering the Biden agenda,” Murphy said.
However, just because it’s a “semi-regular” occurrence within Congress, its effects can still be felt and have major rippling effects for members of congress. Congressional officials may now be fighting for their jobs in the midst of a shutdown. The shutdown that happened in 2019 was the longest in American history, leaving federal workers without a steady income for 35 days.
Freshman Carson Stiles spoke on her fear of a government shutdown.
“The media has a real effect on these types of situations, and although it’s not the biggest deal in the long run, people get afraid. I get afraid for no reason, and I’m sure I’m not alone,” Stiles said.
A government shutdown has a significant effect on Suffolk students. Students with aging family members may run low on Medicare and Social Security checks. The post office typically decreases their productivity levels, which means mail can take an extra few days, weeks, or in rare cases, months, to arrive.
Freshman Avi Davies, an International Relations major, voiced her concerns on the need for bipartisanship in Congress.
“I think that Congress keeps delaying the inevitable and is just refusing to acknowledge that to achieve the goals everyone wants, they have to sit down and create a bipartisan plan. It can’t be the fault of one party or the other,” said Davies.
The fear of a shutdown ended with a Biden signature Thursday evening, extending the current appropriations bill’s power until December. This date pushback, however, does not entirely end the threat of a government shutdown. An agreement must be reached by December.
