Government shutdown could cut food aid for millions of women, children
The Women, Infants and Children program — known as WIC — is one of the federal programs that would no longer function during a shutdown.
LEARN MOREPosted: 2:42 p.m. EDT Sep 29, 2023
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy failed to get a short-term spending bill passed Friday afternoon. More than 20 Republicans joined Democrats to sink the bill, which would have cut funding to most federal agencies by about 30%. Budgets for the Defense, Veterans and Homeland Security departments would have gone untouched.
It's unclear where McCarthy goes from here. He can't seem to reach a deal with the far right-wing of his party, which objects to funding the war in Ukraine and called for single-subject spending bills, rather than multiple items being lumped into one bill.
The Senate is working on its own bipartisan bill, but it likely won't be finalized until Monday, a day after the government would shut down.
Adding to the gridlock, McCarthy has said he would not take up the Senate bill.
President Joe Biden on Friday accused House Republicans of failing the U.S. military in their fight over funding.
“Our service members will keep upholding their oath, showing up for work, standing sentinel around the world, keeping our country secure but they won't get paid," the president said. "It's a disgrace.
In addition to members of the military, all federal employees who are doing work deemed to be essential will have to report to work without getting paid. That includes officers with the Transportation Safety Administration and Border Patrol agents. They will receive back pay when the government reopens.
Federal workers who are not doing work deemed essential will be furloughed during the shutdown.
The government is scheduled to shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday if a bill is not passed by both chambers and signed by the president.
