The US House of Representatives approves a project that avoids the closure of public services world

On Saturday (30), the US House of Representatives approved a draft budget that extends government funding for another 45 days, to avoid the so-called “lockout”, a strike that would disrupt the work of public bodies.

The measure was approved by 335 votes to 91 against, with greater support from Democratic Party parliamentarians, such as President Joe Biden. Now it will be referred to the Senate for analysis.

The text does not include the funds that the government intends to allocate to Ukraine, a proposal that has been criticized by Republican parliamentarians. On the other hand, there are expectations of $16 billion in federal support for natural disasters, as Biden has advocated.

The approval came after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy abandoned his demands for sharp spending cuts.

“Let’s do our job,” the GOP’s McCarthy said. “We will be the adults in the room. We will keep the government open.”

Why might closures occur?

Each year, the US Congress must approve a spending budget for the following fiscal year, which begins on October 1. However, the process usually takes time, as 12 bills need to be negotiated and approved.

To avoid delays, members of Congress could resort to passing a temporary funding bill to allow the government to continue working while the budget is finalized.

However, when no funding legislation is enacted, federal agencies must cease all non-essential work and shutdowns ensue.

What will happen in a strike?

The closure of public services affects several areas of North American society. As a result, the government will have to:

• Fire employees so you can pay them properly.
• Keeping the military working without pay.
• Keeping service employees deemed essential to work without pay.
• Disabling public programs and services.
• A number of offices, museums, parks and other public places are closed.
• Reorganizing air traffic and issuing passports and visas according to the availability of employees.