North Pima News

Arizona Rep. Jacqueline Parker has suggested that the government may be "better off shut down" under the Biden Administration, addressing the potential for a government shutdown. Speculation about a shutdown has been circulating for weeks, primarily due to the approaching end of the current fiscal year on September 30.

Parker's statement, "The government under Biden is better off shut down," reflects the ongoing disagreements between Republicans and Democrats regarding spending levels and additional aid to Ukraine. With Republicans holding a slim majority in the House and Democrats in control of the Senate, the approval of the 12 spending bills necessary to avoid a shutdown by October 1 is uncertain.

To buy more time, lawmakers are considering a short-term funding extension, often referred to as a continuing resolution or CR. This would temporarily fund the government and prevent a shutdown from occurring at 12:01 a.m. on October 1st. However, the underlying issues of spending levels and aid to Ukraine would still need to be resolved.

"It's simply unacceptable to normal people to spend $2 trillion you don't have on wars you can't win, defending people who aren't yours, while being invaded by people we don't know," said Charlie Kirk, Founder and President of Turning Point USA, expressing his support for a shutdown in a post on the X platform. "Cut spending. End the Ukraine mess. Defund Jack Smith. Stop the invasion. OR...SHUT IT DOWN."

If a shutdown were to occur, the federal government would face challenges in paying its 4 million employees, leading to employee furloughs. However, essential functions such as the military and public safety roles would continue, and both President Joe Biden and members of Congress would still work.

Importantly, programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and others would remain unaffected by the shutdown as they are not funded through the spending bills.

The Biden Administration has faced criticism for the amount of funding sent to Ukraine in the past year. The United States has allocated over $111 billion in aid to Ukraine, focusing on "humanitarian, financial, and military assistance." In July, an additional $24 billion in funding was requested by Biden for Ukraine, bringing the total to $135 billion, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

As the end of the fiscal year approaches, the possibility of a government shutdown looms. The outcome will depend on the ability of lawmakers to reach a consensus on spending levels and aid to Ukraine.