Category World News

The “Shutdown melodrama continues,” I suppose.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana summarized the third day of the government shutdown in a manner that sounds like a sigh.

Prior to a weekend break, the US Senate reconvened on Friday to vote once more on a continuing resolution that would fund the government through November 21.

Republicans have referred to the resolution as a “clean” budget bill that upholds the status quo. Democrats have stated that they will not take any legislation into account that does not take into account healthcare spending into account.

By the end of the year, the Affordable Care Act subsidies are expected to expire, leading to a rise in insurance premiums for many Americans. Democrats have also urged Republicans to reconsider changes to Medicaid, the government’s program for low-income households, following the passage of a bill earlier this year that narrows its requirements.

However, there is no known solution to the impasse over Capitol Hill, with both parties sharing the blame. On both sides, there was frustration.

Kennedy remarked on the Senate floor, “This shutdown is bone-deep, down-to-the-marrow stupid.”

Democrats rejected the Republicans’ proposal, which had previously been divided by party lines, for a fourth time on Friday.

Only three senators, including independent Angus King of Maine and Democratic John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, split in the party caucus.

Senator Rand Paul also declined to cast a ballot alongside members of his party on the Republican side. He claimed that his concern was with the government’s ability to finance the program.

The 100-seat Senate chamber’s vote resulted in a 54 to 44 vote, which is far below the 60 votes required by Republicans to overthrow a Democratic filibuster to scuttle the bill.

Democrats’ bill proposes a bill that would allocate more than $1 trillion to healthcare spending as a counterproposal. However, that also lost a Senate vote.

Capitol Hill’s finger-pointing

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated in a press conference that negotiations on the healthcare issue could only be resolved if the Republicans changed their strategy.

“Today, the Republicans performed the same play and produced the same outcomes.” Will they alter their course, asks the question? he told the media.

Republicans were accused of “wasting a week” with four votes that ended up being equal.

He stated that “my caucus and Democrats are adamant that we must protect the American people’s healthcare.” The White House and other Republicans have pledged to make this a “maximum pain” shutdown rather than attempt to bargain with Democrats and reopen the government.

Republicans were also accusing the Democrats of trying to stifle the process rather than sticking with the status quo.

Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that Medicaid programs needed to be overhauled urgently.

“Medicaid has experienced a lot of fraud and abuse, so we made a change,” he said. Why? At a press conference, he stated, “To help increase and improve the quality of American health services for the population.” There were many people who were never supposed to be on Medicaid.

In preparation for the Democratic Party’s 2028 primary, Johnson claimed Schumer “has got to show that he’s fighting Republicans.”

However, the federal workers who were stranded in the middle of the shutdown were shown compassion on both sides of the aisle.

Almost 750, 000 people are being furloughed each day as the shutdown drags on, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Non-paying employees are required to continue working.

According to the budget office’s statistics, the total pay for the furloughed employees is about $400 million per day. Federal employees will eventually receive backpay after the shutdown is over, but only after the government employee fair treatment act, which was passed in 2019.

tactics of pressure

Johnson issued a notice on Friday afternoon that the House of Representatives would not be in session until at least October 14 in an effort to pressure the Democrats to pass the continuing resolution.

Instead, his memo instructed representatives to work in districts other than the US capital.

The Senate should be pressured to take action on the House’s already-passed continuing resolution, according to that announcement. Prior to Johnson’s announcement, the House was anticipating starting its work at the Capitol on October 7.

Meanwhile, the majority leader of the Senate, John Thune, made the announcement that he would weigh the Democrats’ concerns regarding healthcare until the government was reopened.

He could not be certain that the Democrats’ aborted healthcare subsidies would be reinstated.

Because we can’t guarantee that there will be enough votes to support the COVID subsidies, we can’t make commitments or promises about them. However, Thune said that I’m open to discussions with our Democratic colleagues regarding how to address that issue.

“But that can’t happen while the government is in disarray,” he said.

Meanwhile, Republican President Donald Trump has threatened to use the shutdown as an opportunity to reduce government spending and funding for initiatives that favor Democratic strongholds.

His administration has already announced that it is suspending about $ 8 billion in clean energy initiatives as well as $ 18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects, including those involving tunnels under the Hudson River.

However, Chicago, Illinois, was made known on Friday by Russ Vought, Trump’s director for the US Office of Management and Budget.

Vought claimed on social media that two $2.1 billion infrastructure projects in Chicago have been put on hold to prevent funding from flowing through race-based contracting.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated at a press briefing that a reduction in the federal workforce was being planned, and that Vought and agency leaders had met to discuss layoffs.

This government shutdown may be over, if Democrats follow the right course. Our soldiers can recoup their pay. Leavitt said, “We can go back to serving the American people.”

“But layoffs are an unfortunate consequence of this shutdown continuing, as we’ve already said.

However, Democratic leaders rejected the threat as being used as a distraction from the pressing issue of healthcare.

Schumer&nbsp argued in his remarks that Republican leaders should respond in accordance with Schumer’s claim that healthcare was a top priority for both Republican districts.

Hamas has agreed to release all of Israel’s held captives, but it has asked to negotiate other details of the 20-point plan in response to US President Donald Trump’s request to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza.

Trump has reacted by requesting that Israel stop bombing Gaza and giving the Palestinian group a Sunday deadline to respond favorably.

Is this the end of a nearly two-year conflict that has left more than 66, 000 Palestinians dead? Or will there be more potential pitfalls?

Let’s examine this more closely.

What was Hamas’ exact response?

Hamas has stated that it will release all Israeli prisoners held in Gaza, both dead and alive, “in a way that puts an end to Israel’s war” and force Israel to completely leave the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, it stated that a group of Palestinian technocrats would take control of Gaza.

The group said that the rest of Trump’s 20-point plan, which included Hamas’s disarmament, should be “discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, in which Hamas will be included and will contribute fully responsibility,” and that it should be discussed.

Trump: Has he taken a chance?

Trump expressed his gratitude for Hamas’ response on his Truth Social website, saying that they were “ready for a lasting PEACE.”

He added that “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” in a major announcement to allow the release of the prisoners.

“We are already negotiating details,” he said. He wrote, “This is not just about Gaza; it is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”

Trump then retorted that Hamas’ response was a win in a video message.

“This is a significant day. We’ll see how everything turns out. He said, “We have to write down the last word in concrete.” Everyone voted in favor of ending this war and bringing peace to the Middle East, and we are very close to doing that, to be sure to say.

What position does Israel hold?

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were present at the White House on Monday to make their peace plans for Gaza.

Netanyahu claimed at the time that he was in favor of Trump’s strategy because it would help Israel achieve its war goals.

“It will free Israel from all of its hostages, end Hamas’s military and political dominance, and prevent Gaza from ever becoming a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said.

However, there were some limitations for the prime minister. Netanyahu claimed in the White House that Israel would “finish the job by itself” if Hamas rejected the plan “or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it” in the White House.

And a few hours later, Netanyahu stated in Hebrew to a domestic Israeli audience that he had no intention of supporting a Palestinian state and that the Israeli military would remain in Gaza for the most part.

What will be the main issues?

Hamas has made it abundantly clear that it is unmoved to accept Trump’s plan, including the creation of an interim administration led by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

According to Hamas senior official Mousa Abu Marzouk, “We will never accept anyone who is not Palestinian to control the Palestinians,” adding Blair’s appointment was unwelcome in light of his previous involvement with the invasion of Iraq.

Disarmament will also pose a problem. Hamas has only stated that it is willing to discuss the subject, but Trump and Netanyahu insist that the group must do so right away.

According to Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, Hamas’s statement states that the fate of Gaza and the entire conflict will be decided by the Palestinians. They want a more comprehensive Palestinian consensus before a final decision is reached. What is clear is that Hamas said, “Yes, but… “

Israel’s bombing of Gaza won’t stop, though.

Because Hamas has not merely accepted all of its demands, the Israeli government is likely to be unhappy with Trump’s positive response. According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, it is already reported that Netanyahu was “surprised” by Trump’s response and that Hamas’s response was viewed as a “rejection” of the plan.

The far-right have warned that they will overthrow the prime minister if he agrees to a deal that they oppose, dominating Netanyahu’s government. The Israeli opposition has voiced its support for the agreement, but a coalition between them and Netanyahu won’t be easy to come together due to their lack of confidence.

Much will now depend on how much of Trump is willing to force a deal out of Netanyahu.

According to Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi, a reporter from Washington, “You can picture the forces gathered here in Washington, DC, right now trying to change Donald Trump’s mind.”

According to Rattansi, “All of this now depends on how committed he is and how much pressure the mediators are putting on him to adhere to the terms of this agreement” and not, as in the past, allow Hamas to fulfill the agreement and allow Israel to restart the conflict,”