Conservatives’ demands for controversial policy additions to spending bills are stalling efforts to fund the government by Friday, nudging the country closer to a partial government shutdown and sparking frustration among lawmakers in both parties.
Congressional leaders failed to unveil the long-awaited compromise appropriations bills over the weekend, blowing through a Sunday target date floated last week and, as a result, leaving members wondering about a path forward just days ahead of the looming deadline.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said House Republicans were responsible for the holdup, writing in a letter to colleagues Sunday that conservatives in the lower chamber “need more time to sort themselves out.” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), however, dismissed his “counterproductive rhetoric,” saying that new requests from Democrats had delayed the process.
Mint the fucking trillion dollar coin, call their bluff and let SCotUS decide if they want to let the Republicans tank the global economy, or if “spending authorization” means what the plain reading says
So sick of these petty games after prior budget agreement through compromise
Unfortunately the trillion dollar coin thing may only alleviate a debt ceiling fight, spending money to fund things congress has already put in the budget. The debt ceiling has been suspended until 2025 (though many legal scholars hold the debt ceiling is unconstitutional, how can congress allocate money for something but also prevent debt being created to pay for it at the same time? Which directive should be followed?). This is passing the budget and allocating money, something congress is given the express authority over in the constitution.
So if they go past Friday there’s a government shutdown. Not good, but not quite the global economic catastrophe of the US defaulting on debt if the debt ceiling was allowed to be hit. The US still is paying off all bonds, etc while a government shutdown occurs.