US Congress Nowhere Close to Deal to Avert Shutdown Ahead of March 14 Deadline

With less than two weeks before a March 14 deadline, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress appear to be nowhere close to a deal to avert a government shutdown that would throw Washington into deeper turmoil. The talks have been complicated by President Donald Trump, who has ignored spending laws passed by Congress, suspended foreign aid and fired tens of thousands of federal workers.
Both sides say his actions are the biggest sticking point as they seek to reach a deal that would provide government funding beyond March 14, when it is due to expire. Democrats say they are trying to secure guarantees that would prevent Trump and his budget-slashing point person, billionaire Elon Musk, from firing more workers or cancelling more government programs. Republicans say Democrats are trying to undo Trump's actions, which they call a nonstarter.
The spending deal only covers a portion of the budget, funding agencies like the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency. It would not address the country's rising borrowing costs or rapidly growing benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Republicans are separately pushing to extend the tax cuts that Trump signed into law in 2017. One version, which narrowly passed the House last week, would cut taxes by $4.5Tn and reduce spending by $2Tn over a decade. Independent analysts say that would further add to the nation's $36Tn debt load.
Failure to reach a spending deal by March 14 would force the government to furlough hundreds of thousands of workers and shutter "nonessential" operations, such as financial regulation and trash pickup at national parks.
The last government shutdown was also the longest, ending in January 2019 after 35 days, as Trump, during his first term in office, and lawmakers clashed over his effort to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. With no clear resolution in sight, lawmakers have already begun pointing fingers.

(Sources: Reuters)