House to Vote on Four Spending Bills as Time Ticks for US Government Shutdown

US lawmakers have until September 30 to pass legislation to fund the programs covered by the appropriations process or the government will shut down.

House Republicans are working on a new strategy in a 'long-shot' attempt to prevent a potential government shutdown as September comes to a close, a British news agency reported.

The strategy involves the development of four separate bills to fund the military, homeland security, agriculture programs, and the State Department and other foreign operations. These bills are critical to supporting these sectors in the upcoming U.S. fiscal year, which begins October 1.

Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Speaker, expressed his intention to hold a vote on these bills on Tuesday. His goal is to secure an opportunity to move forward with a stop-gap funding bill to ensure the smooth operation of the government.

"I still believe if you shut down, we are in a weaker position. You need the time to fund the government while you pass all the appropriations bills," he said.

This came after McCarthy postponed a vote on the stopgap spending bill, which would fund the government for 30 days and then go to the Senate floor.

The Republicans have put forward a document that suggests funding the government until October 31. Their proposal includes a 1% reduction in current spending levels across federal departments, with some being hit harder than others. However, dissident Republicans want even deeper cuts, demanding more precise numbers on top-line budget items.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, for her part, claimed that “There’s absolutely no reason why we [the US] should have a government shutdown.”

“Democrats in both the House and the Senate, and Republicans in the Senate are ready to pass appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to keep the government open and operating for the American people,” she said, urging McCarthy “to find a way to do his job, which is to pass a continuing resolution.”

If Congress does not allocate funds for the upcoming fiscal year starting on October 1, it will result in a government shutdown. This would lead to major disruptions in government services and leave hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay.

Workers, who are deemed "essential", would remain on the job, but without pay. Should a shutdown occur, the two million servicemen in the United States would continue their duties, whereas approximately half of the Defense Department's 800,000 civilian employees would face the prospect of being furloughed.

During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the White House furloughed 1,100 of the 1,800 employees in the Executive Office of the President of the United States. While some offices, like the National Security Council, continued business as usual during that period, others, such as the Office of Management and Budget, were downsized.