U.S. Congressional leaders reach deal to avert shutdown
U.S. Congressional leaders reach deal to avert shutdown (photo: Getty Images)
Congressional leaders have reached an agreement to fund the U.S. government in 2024 to prevent a shutdown, reports The Washington Post.
According to the agreement, it is proposed to allocate $1.66 trillion to finance the federal government in 2024. Defense needs will be covered by $886.3 billion, and $772.7 billion for domestic discretionary spending.
It is noted that the deal, which was jointly announced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson, is likely to face fierce opposition from far-right Republicans in the House, who are in favor of drastic budget cuts.
On Sunday, January 7, U.S. President Joe Biden said the deal brought the country one step closer to preventing an unnecessary government shutdown and protecting important national priorities.
"This reflects the level of funding I agreed to with both sides," the U.S. leader said after the deal was announced.
However, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-majority Senate have yet to agree on how to allocate the funds.
The threat of a shutdown
A shutdown is a condition when part of the U.S. government stops working due to the lack of a new budget. In 2023, the U.S. managed to avoid this twice.
In September, the threat of a government shutdown was associated with the position of far-right Republicans. They blocked the adoption of budget bills for 2024 due to allegedly "excessive" spending. In particular, Republicans opposed additional aid to Ukraine.
