U.S GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AS CONGRESS DISAGREE ON SPENDING BILL

         Washington, 26 Dul Qai’dah 1434 / 1 Oktober 2013 ( MINA ) – The US government began a partial shutdown on Tuesday as the House and the Senate couldn’t agree on an emergency spending bill to fund the government.

         “Unfortunately, Congress has not fulfilled its responsibility. It has failed to pass a budget and, as a result, much of our government must now shut down until Congress funds it again,” Obama told in a statement to military members and Department of Defense employees.

        The House and the Senate blamed each other for more than a week over Obamacare, the president’s signature health care law. 

         Republicans insisted on delaying President Obama’s health care reforms as a condition for passing the budget and the lawmakers failed to compromise on the bill before a midnight deadline.

         More than 700,000 US government workers face unpaid leave with no guarantee of back pay once the deadlock is over. 

        “I know this comes on top of the furloughs that many of you already endured this summer. You and your families deserve better than the dysfunction we’re seeing in Congress. … That’s why I’ll keep working to get Congress to reopen our government and get you back to work as soon as possible,” Obama said. 

        Civilians may get more furloughs whereas the US president stated that troops would get paid on time, Anadolu Agency reported as monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

        “Those of you in uniform will remain on your normal duty status,” the president added, “Congress has passed, and I am signing into law, legislation to make sure you get your paychecks on time. And we’ll continue working to address any impact this shutdown has on you and your families.”

         All national parks would also likely be closed. Visitors using overnight campgrounds would be given 48 hours to make alternate arrangements and leave the park.

         It is the US government’s first partial shutdown in 17 years. The federal government was shut down twice in 1995-96, when Bill Clinton was president, but has not closed since then.

         The 54-46 vote along party lines reflected the ongoing politics of the issue. All of the Senate’s Democrats and the two independents who vote with them want a government funding bill with no restrictions, while Republicans want to affect President Obama’s health care law.

         Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., blamed the “irrationality” of Republicans in the House, and singled out a faction he calls “Tea Party radicals.”

         “No matter how many times they try to extort the American people and the Democrats here in the Senate, we’re not going to re-litigate the health care issue,” Reid said, noting the U.S. Supreme Court has already upheld the Affordable Care Act as constitutional.

        Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Democrats are at fault. “Democratic leaders in Congress finally have their prize: A government shutdown that no one seems to want but them,” McConnell said. (T/P04/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).