Doha: The U.S. Senate has approved a six-month temporary budget, preventing a federal government shutdown. The measure, which funds the federal government until September, received the backing of President Donald Trump, who must now sign it into law. However, it faced strong criticism from the Democratic opposition, which condemned the significant spending cuts planned in several areas of public expenditure.
According to Qatar News Agency, on Friday, U.S. federal agencies were at risk of shutting down as Democrats, frustrated with the budget cuts introduced by Trump, threatened to block his federal funding plans. During a government shutdown, up to 900,000 federal employees could be temporarily furloughed, while another million essential workers such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers would continue to work without pay. Although Social Security and other benefits remain covered, some government services experience delays, including the closure of national parks and suspension of food safety inspections.
The Trump administration is aiming to reduce federal spending by $1 trillion this year and claims to have already saved over $100 billion. Last Tuesday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the bill to partially fund the federal government until September by a narrow vote of 217 to 213, before sending it to the Senate for approval. The United States has previously experienced four government shutdowns that disrupted services for more than a single workday, the most recent occurring during Trump’s first term.