WP admits US shutdown on Dec. 20 due to congressional disagreement

Due to disagreements in the U.S. Congress on Saturday, December 20, the state may face a shutdown (suspension of the federal government). The Washington Post (WP) reported on December 17.

"Leading lawmakers focused on reaching a bipartisan compromise on funding, but did not pass a final agreement," the piece said.

It is specified that this is the reason why Congress is on the path to the impending end of government funding.

According to WP, without new legislation, government agencies will close after midnight on Dec. 20. If an agreement is reached that the threat of a shutdown in the United States will be delayed until mid-March 2025.

Earlier, on September 25, it became known that the US Senate approved a temporary spending bill that would fund the government until December 20. The majority of senators voted in favor of the bill: 78 votes against 18. In turn, the current American President Joe Biden praised Congress for "managing to avoid a costly government shutdown".

The next day, the leader of the United States signed the approved bill.

On November 17, 2023, the White House administration and Congress could not agree on a full-fledged budget and lawmakers passed a compromise one on the eve of the government funding shutdown. The bill was authored by House Speaker Mike Johnson. He drafted his own budget, which did not include aid to Israel and Ukraine, in order to avoid a shutdown. The U.S. Congress supported the proposed draft on the same day, senators approved the short-term budget on February 29.