Biden accuses "extremist Republicans"

President Joe Biden accused "a small group of extremist Republicans" on Saturday of threatening to shut down the federal government next week by "closing" several of its institutions due to funding gaps.

Speaking during a dinner in Congress, Biden stated that he had reached an agreement with Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on the level of government spending for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1st.

"Today, there's a small group of extremist Republicans who don't want to respect the agreement, and all Americans may pay the price," Biden said.

He added, "Funding the government is one of Congress's most fundamental responsibilities. It's time for Republicans to do the work that America elected them to do. Let's get it done."

Congress must vote on a budget to fund the federal government by midnight on September 30th.

Congress is currently divided, with Democrats controlling the Senate while the House of Representatives is under Republican opposition.

The White House seeks to include $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine in the budget. This move has support from both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, but some members of the House strongly oppose it.

Budget votes in Congress often turn into partisan showdowns, with each side using the possibility of a shutdown to extract concessions from the other party before reaching a last-minute resolution.



AFP