U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer said that in two years time the United States government is on the brink of its second shutdown because Republican legislators refuse to meet with Democratic congressmen to compromise on a budget.
A former U.S. Congressman Jim Moran said in an interview with a U.S. media outlet that Washington and thousands of federal employees should brace for a government shutdown next month.
Moran attested the United States has a broken and dysfunctional legislative branch.
“Yes, I do,” Moran told on Monday in response to a question whether there will be a U.S. government shutdown. “I’m afraid so.”
He said, “I’m afraid we’re going to shut it down, over Planned Parenthood mostly, but we can’t get them together.”
Moran’s remarks come as the U.S. Congress is attempting to pass a budget by October 1, which spells the end of the U.S. fiscal year.
In the event that Congress does not pass a financial budget plan, the U.S. federal government will probably confront a shutdown and will be not able to pay for regular operations.
“I’ve talked with all of the appropriators, and they don’t know how we’re going to get past this,” Moran said. “The best we can do is a continuing resolution, which is really disappointing… but nobody has a way out of it right now.”
The White House has warned that a government shutdown could severely affect the U.S. economy and create instability in recent weeks,.
In any case, the Obama administration also said that President Obama would not sign a budget bill into law that would lock in a level of spending with automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration.
In the event that Congress is not able to pass the financial backing or the bill is vetoed, legislators could depend on passing a short-term funding bill to prevent an immediate government shutdown.
By: Jason E. / PNA
