The federal operation of the United States is on a tightrope, as the country is faced with the specter of a new “shutdown”. The Senate’s rejection of the crucial funding bill, in the wake of strong backlash from Democrats over the practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has plunged Washington into a fiscal impasse.
Funding for key ministries expires at midnight Friday to Saturday. If the new budget for federal agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — is not approved by then, the US administration will be suspended.
The “shadow” of Minneapolis Although the budget was initially approved by the House of Representatives and seemed to be headed for a vote, the tragic events in Minneapolis overturned the political correlations. The killing of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretty by agents, on the sidelines of demonstrations, caused the strong reaction of Democratic senators.
Democrats are now making it a prerequisite for their vote to institute severe restrictions on the operation of the immigration police (ICE), which reports to DHS. They categorically refuse to agree to funds for this Department unless the Trump administration revises its policy.
Fierce attack by Schumer The head of the minority of the Democrats, Chuck Schumer, spoke of “state-sponsored atrocities” in particularly high tones.
“That’s enough. ICE’s practices operate outside the legal framework and this must stop,” said Mr. Schumer, adding that “this is not America” and characterizing the agents involved as “evil elements roaming our streets.”
The parliamentary conundrum Under Senate rules, a supermajority of 60 votes is required to approve the budget. Republicans, although they hold the majority, are unable to pass the bill without the help of Democrats.
The opposition says it is willing to vote in favor of five of the six points of the bill, asking for the separation of the chapter concerning the Department of Internal Security, so that the required reforms can be put on the table. However, since the House has already voted on the text as a whole, any amendment to it would require a new vote by the body, causing a de facto — albeit short-lived — fiscal paralysis at midnight on Friday (07:00 am Saturday Greek time).
Trump optimism and memories of the past Despite the impasse, President Donald Trump, during a cabinet meeting, appeared reassuring. Speaking to reporters, he expressed hope for a compromise solution, stating that “we are quite close to an agreement”.
The threat, however, evokes memories of the recent record 43-day “shutdown” last fall, when the health insurance dispute paralyzed the state machinery. At the time, hundreds of thousands of federal employees were placed on technical unemployment, while critical services were understaffed with unpaid staff, causing air travel chaos and benefits delays.
