US politics: latest news on government shutdown | Summary news 29 September
US Politics: Latest Updates
- Senator Dianne Feinstein has passed away at the age of 90.
- Speaker Rep. McCarthy's proposal to avoid government shutdown fails to gain sufficient support.
- A government shutdown looms as Republicans in the House of Representatives cannot bring a funding bill to the floor.
- Republicans in the Senate warn that a shutdown will be a “loser” for their party
- The Senate dress code has been reversed to formal attire after facing backlash
- The third GOP primary debate will take place on 8 November in Miami
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Shutdown deadlines passes as Rep. McCarthy's compromise collapses
Just hours after it looked like a deal was possible, it now appears increasingly likely that the federal government will be forced into a shutdown in the coming days. The House of Representatives, which is held by a narrow GOP majority, has been unable to agree on the passage of a series of crucial government funding bills.
GOP House leader Speaker Kevin McCarthy has fought to keep his divided caucus together but it looks like he failed.
Can House GOP find shutdown remedy?
Elements of the US government will soon face a shutdown as Congress struggles to pass a series of crucial funding bills. In just two days elements of government business will be temporarily halted unless a deal can be found ahead of the funding deadline.
The Republican Party, who now hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, are desperately looking for a compromise that can draw support from all members of its incredibly disparate caucus. The new proposal would prevent a shutdown, but would see substantial funding cuts to a number of key government programs and responsibilities.
The longest-serving woman senator, Dianne Feinstein, has passed away at ninety.
The senator’s health had been an open question in Washington, with various members of her own party calling on her to resign. Unwilling at first, the senator eventually announced that she would retire at the end of her current term. High-profile Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives, including Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, and Katie Porter, have all announced that they will be running for the seat left open by her retirement.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who will be tasked with appointing an interim senator to fill the seat left vacant, issued a statement emphasizing the close relationship he had developed with the late senator.
Read our full coverage for details on the possible candidates.
All federal agencies have created contingency plans in case a government shutdown begins this weekend. For the Department of Defense, the prospect of a shutdown has been described as “horrible” by top officials at the Pentagon.
“If the government shuts down, testing [of systems] will stop and acceptance by the government of equipment when it is finished and ready to be accepted [could] stop,” said William A. LaPlante, who serves as undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California passed away at ninety on Friday. Senator Feinstein was the longest-serving woman in the Senate. Elected to the US Senate alongside fellow Democrat Barbara Boxer in 1992, Senator Feinstein’s long career in Washington has come to a close after more than three decades.
Senator Dianne Feinstein of California passes away at 90
California Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away at 90. The Senator from California had served in the Senate since 1992.
UAW President Shawn Fain will be hosting a Facebook live event at 10 AM ET
It's Friday, and that means that UAW Presidnet Shawn Fain will take to Facebook Live to inform his members on where negotiations with the Big Three auto manufacturers his members are currently striking stand. Fain will call upon additional locals to strike if negotiations have not progressed to the union's liking. Last week, additional locals of GM and Stellantis workers were called to "stand up and strike." However, with union leadership pleased with the progress made with Ford, no additional workers were called to strike.
With the House of Representatives poised to allow the government to shut down by Sunday, many Social Security recipients are worried about the fate of their benefits. In the US, one out of five seniors depend on Social Security for ninety percent or more of their income.
However, government shutdowns have happened in the US before, and it takes a lot more than Congressional failure to stop the sending of Social Secuirty checks. These benefits are protected because their funding does not form part of the same budget process Congress is currently debating.
What is going on in the Joe Biden impeachment hearing?
The first hearing offered Republicans the chance to show some of the evidence they’ve uncovered to date.
None was offered.
Forensic accountant Bruce Dubinsky, one of the GOP witnesses, undercut Republicans’ main narrative by saying there wasn’t enough evidence yet for him to conclude that there was “corruption” by the Bidens.
Even Fox News is not happy with the Republican effort
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto was pretty scathing about Republican actions at the impeachment proceedings today.
"I don't know what was achieved over these last 6+ hours," he said on his show, "this was built up where there's smoke there would be fire... where there's smoke today, we got more smoke."
Trump's former lawyer to give deposition on 3 October
Michael Cohen is the star witness in the ‘Stormy Daniels’ case. The collaborator and former personal lawyer of Trump for more than a decade has now become one of his biggest enemies.
Cohen ended up in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to violating the Campaign Finance Law and committing perjury in Congress, after stating that he had received orders from Trump to deliver the money and that he had covered up for the then-presidential candidate out of loyalty.
Hello and welcome to AS USA's live blog on US politics
What a week it has been.
The second Republican primary debate took place on Wednesday night. Former president and current frontrunner, Donald Trump, was notably absent once again.
Both President Biden and Trump made stops in Michigan, with the former becoming the first modern president to visit a picket line. Trump, on the other hand, made a campaign stop at a non-union business to speak with current and former autoworkers, though it seemed that many supporters with no relation to the auto industry were also in the crowd.
The crowded debate stage made for an eventful evening, with each candidate trying to stand out in a race that remains very much in the hands of Donald Trump. Attempts were made by the candidates to justify the looming government shutdown, which could cost tax payers billions as non-essential government workers are furloughed, and operations at many federal agencies come to a halt. The shutdown could begin Sunday if Republicans in Congress cannot pass a spending bill. Most GOP members in the House of Representatives have all but assured that a shutdown will occur... but the question of how long it will last remains to be seen. Another open question is the fate of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and whether his caucus will allow him to continue holding the gavel if/when the shutdown begins. Follow along with us for the latest from Washington.