US house republicans expect federal govt shutdown
Insight Online News
Washington, Feb 21 : US Republican Party lawmakers in the House of Representatives are predicting a federal government shutdown in the absence of a decision on further funding, as House Speaker Mike Johnson will have to seek a solution, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed Republican Party lawmaker in the House of Representatives. “People are predicting a shutdown, even if it’s just for a few days,” the Republican lawmaker said. The US government will face a partial shutdown if it does not pass a budget or a stopgap spending measure by March 1, the news portal reported. Meanwhile, the possibility of a total shutdown will become a reality if neither a budget nor a spending stopgap is reached by March 8. Johnson was quoted as saying last week that the House would meet the deadlines. However, the House speaker is about to face a double-edged choice after members of the US Congress return from a recess: to continue to fight House Democrats on the budget, which threatens the lack of a solution to fund the government, or make a deal with them, which could jeopardise his own office, the news outlet reported. Therefore, as one of the House subcommittee chairs was quoted as saying to a Republican colleague, they’re either “close to reaching a deal or it’s about to blow up.” The critical decision must be made by April 30, or a 1% across-the-board spending cut will take effect, the report said.
