- Title: U.S. Senate fails to advance debt ceiling, government funding measures
- Date: 27th September 2021
- Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 27, 2021)(SENATE TV) WIDE OF SENATE CHAMBER CHAIR OF SESSION, SENATOR HIRONO [D-HAWAII] ANNOUNCING VOTE ON BILL TO SUSPEND FEDERAL DEBT CEILING AND AVOID PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN VARIOUS OF SENATE CHAMBER AS YEAS AND NAYS ARE READ OUT CHAIR OF SESSION READING OUT VOTE RESULT WITH NAYS LEADING 50-48, THEN GRAPHIC OF VOTE ON SCREEN / SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER, OFF SCREEN, ASKING TO ENTER MOTION TO RECONSIDER CLOTURE VOTE (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER [D-NY], SAYING: "I want to make sure everyone understands exactly what has happened here on the Senate floor. The Republican Party has now become the party of default, the party that says America doesn't pay its debts. Our country is staring down the barrel of two totally Republican manufactured disasters: a government shutdown and a first ever default on the national debt. The impacts of both would gravely harm every single American in this country. Republicans would let the country default for the first time in history." (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER [D-NY], SAYING: "It's one of the most reckless, one of the most irresponsible votes I have seen taken place in the Senate. And it should send a signal to every family, small business market watcher, about who is who in this chamber is in favor of endangering the economic stability of our country and who isn't." (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER [D-NY], SAYING: "Keeping the government open and preventing a default is vital to our country's future. And we'll be taking further action to prevent this from happening this week." WIDE OF SENATE CHAMBER
- Embargoed: 11th October 2021 23:59
- Keywords: Biden Congress Senate budget infrastructure reconciliation shutdown
- Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Budget/Taxation/Revenue,Government/Politics,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWHYNGN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A sharply divided U.S. Senate failed on Monday (September 27) to advance a measure to suspend the federal debt ceiling and avoid a partial government shutdown, as Republican lawmakers denied the bill the votes necessary to move forward.
President Joe Biden's Democrats were unable to pass the legislation that would confront two fast-approaching deadlines that, if left unaddressed, threaten to destabilize the U.S. economy as it struggles to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The near party-line vote of 48 votes to advance against 50 opposed fell short of the 60 votes needed to move legislation forward in the 100-seat Senate. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer voted "no" to allow him to call another vote.
Democrats who narrowly control both chambers of Congress now have just three days to find another way to keep the government operating beyond Thursday - when current funding expires.
Republican Senator Richard Shelby predicted that lawmakers would not resolve the standoff any time soon. "Probably will be here Thursday," he told reporters.
Lawmakers also will have to figure out how to raise the debt ceiling to head off the risk of default, with independent analysts warning that the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to exhaust its borrowing authority fully sometime between Oct. 15 and Nov. 4.
Schumer, who has warned that a default would hammer the economy, said afterward that Democrats would take further action this week to avoid a government shutdown and debt default. He did not specify what the next step would be.
"Our country is now staring down the barrel of two Republican-manufactured disasters," he said on the Senate floor after the vote.
A government shutdown - or worse, a default - would be a huge hit to Biden's Democrats, who have positioned themselves as the party of responsible government after Republican Donald Trump's chaotic presidency.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he would try to force the chamber to vote for a funding extension, separate from the provision that would suspend the government's $28.4 trillion debt limit through the end of 2022. That is not expected to succeed.
Republicans have said they want Democrats to lift the debt limit on their own, saying they do not support their upcoming spending plans. Democrats point out that much of the nation's new debt was incurred during Trump's administration.
Democrats are also at odds over two pillars of Biden's domestic agenda - a $1 trillion infrastructure bill and a $3.5 trillion social spending package.
The rift risks derailing Biden's presidency and the party's hopes of keeping its congressional majorities in next year's midterm elections.
(Production: Ashraf Fahim) - Copyright Holder: SENATE TV (USA)
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