The daily lives of American federal civil servants are threatened once again by a possible administration shutdown. Indeed, the US Congress has until October 1 to adopt the 2024 budget, failing which certain payments from the federal administration could stop, leading to the suspension of the salaries of two million federal civil servants. This political deadlock highlights the growing tensions between the two main parties, the Democrats and the Republicans.
The issue currently dividing elected officials concerns additional aid to Ukraine. Democrats and certain Republican senators are in favor of this aid, but a handful of elected officials in the House of Representatives, mainly from the Trumpist wing of the Republican Party, refuse to provide their support.
The refusal to finance Ukraine is part of a political approach of “America first”, advocated by these elected officials. They believe that American taxpayers’ money should be primarily used within the country rather than being spent abroad.
This situation of budgetary blockage is not new and has become recurrent in recent years. Tensions between the two parties and political polarization within Congress make compromise difficult to achieve. However, this year, these tensions appear to be heightened, increasing concerns about the United States’ ability to govern effectively and maintain stable fiscal policy.
If no agreement is reached before the deadline, an alternative could be the adoption of a provisional budget, which would allow funding to be temporarily extended and thus avoid an immediate shutdown. This would give elected officials more time to find common ground and avoid a complete paralysis of the administration.
It is important to emphasize that the consequences of a shutdown are multiple and affect not only federal civil servants, but also American citizens who depend on federal public services. Additionally, it would send a negative signal to financial markets and could impact the credibility of US sovereign debt.
It is therefore imperative that elected officials put aside their political differences and work together to resolve this budgetary problem. Financial stability and the proper functioning of the administration depend on their ability to find a compromise that benefits the entire country. American citizens have the right to expect from their representatives responsible management of public funds and consideration of the national interest. Let us hope that elected officials will be able to demonstrate leadership and political will to avoid another shutdown and find effective solutions for the future.