On the heels of the East Coast Quake, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee comes the threat of another potential disaster for the region: The federal shutdown.
Remember that scare a few months ago?
With the end of the fiscal year coming at the end of September, coinciding with the end of the agreement that’s kept the federal government running through the summer, the threat of the shutdown has returned as a GOP-proposed cut draws the ire of Democrats, The Hill reported.
Republicans want to cut $1.5 billion from a program that promotes energy-efficient cars in favor of funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help communities affected by recent natural disasters, The Washington Post reported.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Democrats might not back the measure Wednesday.
Complicating matters in the House is that more than 50 Republicans led by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) have sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) calling for deeper cuts in the government funding resolution. Republicans will likely have to rely on the support of several dozen Democrats in order to pass Wednesday’s bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is confident the sides will reach an agreement by Thursday night, The Hill reported.
Those in the D.C. area who rely on a functional government to pay their bills likely hope his optimism proves true.
