US Senate Approves Partial Budget for 2024 and Avoids Government Shutdown

He US Senate With the approved this Friday 75 votes were cast in favor and 22 againstAnd just five hours before the deadline to run out of funds, the partial budget for fiscal year 2024, expected spending 460,000 million dollars.

The Senate thus approved the plan already approved on Wednesday House of Representatives There were 339 votes in favor and 85 votes against.

There was uncertainty for hours over whether the Senate would approve the plan this Friday, but an agreement was reached late in the afternoon that allowed a vote to be scheduled.

Upon approval by both houses of Congress, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, The plan must be signed off so government funds can be used before they run out.

He FY 2024 It started on Oct. 1, 2023, but Democrats and Republicans couldn't agree on the bills, so Congress approved it. Four budget extensions Avoid administrative closure due to lack of funds.

The first of these extensions, in fact, caused the downfall of the then-President of the Lower House, a Republican Kevin McCarthy.

A macro approved this Friday 1,050 page bill It comprises six budget laws and represents more or less half of the state budget. Congress has until then to ratify the other half March 22.

This part budget includes funds for agriculture, commerce, justice, defense, transport, interior or energy sectors. A total of 460,000 million dollars.

Republicans have made cuts to some of their priorities Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, in English) Its budget will be cut from $10.1 billion in 2023 to $9.2 billion now.

Likewise, increase 212 million dollars The amount for the Department of Energy's nuclear projects is $1.69 billion.

Ironically, the White House It plans to present its budget demands next week FY 2025 Congress has yet to approve the 2024 bill.

Every time an executive shutdown is less than a week away, the White House implements a protocol to prepare all its departments.

A government shutdown would send hundreds of thousands of public employees home without work or pay and freeze many services.

The last shutdown of this type occurred during a Republican presidency Donald Trump (2017-2021) and with 35 days (December 22, 2018 to January 29, 2019), the longest Christmas period in history.

(with information from EFE)