US congressional leaders failed to reach agreement between Republicans and Democrats on a bill to continue funding the federal government, bringing agency operations back to the brink of a shutdown expected on 1 March.
Axios writes that Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to congressmen saying the House, where the majority remains with Republicans, “needs more time to sort itself out”.
“Unfortunately, the extreme Republicans in the House have shown that they are more likely to cause chaos than pass legislation,” Schumer said.
House Speaker Michael Johnson, responding to the letter, called Schumer’s rhetoric counterproductive.
In January, President Joe Biden signed legislation temporarily extending funding for the government through March. The White House thus avoided a shutdown – a government shutdown. The initiative extends funding for some parts of the country’s federal government through March 1 and others through March 8.