Many U.S. government services are at risk of shutting down within days because of a lack of agreement on a new budget. Politicians must reach an agreement this week to prevent the so-called shutdown. But discussions about this are difficult.
The budget year in the United States begins on October 1. That means an agreement must be reached by the end of Saturday, September 30. Otherwise, the US government should cut spending. Then lakhs of government employees will not get any money temporarily.
A deal seems far off. The main reason for this is that some Republicans in the House of Representatives are digging in their heels. Party members have opposed the current budget proposals.
A majority of Democrats and Republicans support the plan. But an insurgent section of the Republican Party says it will push for Republican Chairman Kevin McCarthy to leave if he tries to win a majority through the Democratic Party.
Wages not paid
Therefore, the parties are urgently looking for other ways to reach an agreement. If this is not achieved by Saturday evening, only essential government services will operate from Sunday.
Border guards, lifeguards and elements related to national security, among others, are active. Other services such as town halls and supervision of natural parks must be discontinued. A portion of the army will also be sent home, and waste will no longer be collected.
Millions of Americans will be temporarily without paychecks. Once the closing is complete, they will receive unpaid wages.
In the past, shutdowns of US government services have occurred regularly. It has happened ten times since 1980. The longest period lasted 35 days and occurred in the winter of 2018/2019.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that a shutdown was threatened because of the debt ceiling. That’s not right. It is about reaching an agreement on the budget.