The United States is on the verge of a shutdown and mass dismissal of officials. What the media is writing
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- The United States is on the verge of a shutdown and mass dismissal of officials. What the media is writing
Two days before the end of the fiscal year, the US did not adopt a funding plan for the federal government, which may cause it to cease operations on October 1. Unlike in previous cases, when the shutdown occurred, this time it threatens mass layoffs of civil servants and a weakening dollar. What the media write about a possible political crisis is in the Izvestia digest.
Associated Press: Trump will hold a meeting due to the shutdown
The leaders of the Democrats and Republicans in Congress are heading to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump in an attempt to avoid a government shutdown. Both sides have not demonstrated their willingness to step back from their established positions. If the government funding bill is not passed by Congress and signed by Trump by the evening of September 30, many government agencies across the country will be temporarily closed, and federal employees who are not exempt from paying taxes will be sent on unpaid leave, which will increase the burden on workers and the country's economy.
Associated Press
Republicans are challenging Democrats by suggesting they vote against a bill that would basically keep government funding at current levels, but Democrats are not giving up yet. They are using one of their few levers of pressure to demand that Congress pass legislation to extend health care benefits.
Trump did not show much interest in the Democrats' health care demands, although he agreed to hold a meeting with Democratic leader in the Senate Chuck Schumer, Republican leader John Thune, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson and Democratic leader in the lower house Hakim Jeffries. The President has repeatedly stated that he expects the government to suspend its work this week. The Trump administration has tried to pressure Democratic lawmakers to drop their demands, warning that federal employees could be permanently laid off if funding is cut off.
Bloomberg: Gold jumped to record levels amid weakening dollar
The price of gold rose to a record high of $ 3,812.05 per ounce amid a sharp rise in prices for precious metals, helped by the weakening of the dollar, as investors take into account the possible shutdown of the US government. The price of gold bars rose by 1.4%, surpassing the peak reached on September 23 after six consecutive weeks of growth. Silver increased by 2.4%, platinum and palladium also increased significantly.
Bloomberg
The dollar fell as investors awaited developments ahead of a planned meeting of the top leadership of the US Congress with President Donald Trump on Monday, a day before the expiration of federal funding, if no agreement can be reached on a bill on short—term spending.
The shutdown will jeopardize the release of key data, including Friday's employment report, which economists expect will show weak growth in September. The weakening of the dollar makes precious metals cheaper for most buyers. Weaker employment data will strengthen arguments in favor of rate easing by the leadership of the Federal Reserve System (FRS) at the next rate decision in October — this scenario will make interest-free precious metals more attractive.
CNN: the new shutdown in the United States will be unlike all previous ones
The standoff ahead of the budget deadline goes beyond the classic feud over how the government spends its money and who will win the political test of will — the White House or its opponents on Capitol Hill. Teetering on the brink of a government shutdown will take on a broader meaning: is it possible to slow down or stop a rampaging president on any issue?
CNN
If Congress does not agree on an interim funding agreement by Tuesday evening, a significant portion of the federal system will be shut down. Thousands of employees may be sent on unpaid leave. Those whose work is considered necessary to run the country will work without pay. Over the past 30 years, government shutdowns have become more common during a period of tense elections, slim majorities in Congress, and divided government in Washington.
Trump's demands for Democrats to secure enough votes in the Senate to keep the government running are just one front in his escalating struggle, which is becoming increasingly fierce 13 months before the midterm elections.
The Washington Post: Cuts in federal officials will hit Washington
Washington is preparing for new economic difficulties, as thousands of federal employees who have accepted the government's offer to postpone their layoffs will no longer receive salaries, and the threat of an economic shutdown could worsen the situation. According to an analysis by the Brookings Institution, since January, the unemployment rate in the city has grown more than eight times faster than in the whole country. The District of Columbia was also cutting jobs in the federal sector faster, and the proportion of residents with low credit ratings and the number of homes for sale were growing faster than in the rest of the country.
The Washington Post
And this is even before the effects of President Donald Trump's federal budget cuts fully manifest themselves. On Tuesday evening, when the fiscal year ends, government employees who have been on paid leave for months will officially lose their jobs. An extended work stoppage, which could also begin next week, could delay the payment of salaries to the remaining federal employees, and contractors who normally do not receive salaries due to the work stoppage will also be affected.
For many civil servants, the economic danger has already set in. Seven officials from Washington or its environs who accepted the job offer spoke about their desperate job search history. Some employees refused donations to charity and refused to date. For others, the changes turned out to be more ambitious: they said goodbye to the career they had devoted decades to, and wondered whether it was worth leaving the region altogether.
Axios: the US Senate denies the threat of mass layoffs
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that the threat of dismissals from the White House in the event of a government shutdown "is not necessarily realized" if Democrats sign the Republican Party's plan to keep the government running. The Democrats are still not going to give in and generally ignore the Trump administration's warning about the need to prepare for massive changes in the already unrecognizable composition of federal employees.
Axios
"They are playing with fire and they know it," the Republican leader said. He did not give a direct answer to the question of whether he supports mass layoffs of federal employees in the event of a government shutdown, but said that "this does not necessarily have to happen." He continued: "I am quite satisfied with our position. We need to fund the government, complete the appropriations process, and resolve the issues that Democrats want to resolve after we leave the government open."
Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Policy, predicted last month that by the end of the year, about 300,000 federal employees would leave their posts either voluntarily or under duress. If the Trump administration uses a possible shutdown as an opportunity to further reduce the number of federal employees, the consequences could be felt for much longer than just short-term spending cuts.
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