In an unexpected turn of events, Vice President Kamala Harris saw it fitting to halt her impending travel to Los Angeles abruptly. Her schedule initially indicated that she would be landing at the Los Angeles International Airport by 11:35 pm on Thursday, but apparently, someone played another card. Confirming the shift in plans, her office matter-of-factly released that she would ‘not travel to Los Angeles, CA, and will remain in Washington, D.C.’ Just like that, without providing any justification whatsoever.
It also came to light that President Joe Biden seemed to echo the same sentiments. Reports emerged that he too had returned to the White House, prematurely ending his holiday in Delaware. One has to question, what’s causing the sudden retreat back to the White House? It seems like an abrupt turn in mentality happened there, with both deciding to cancel their plans out of the blue.
Harris’ office didn’t deem it necessary to outline the reason behind her sudden U-turn. Also worth noting is the absence of public details regarding the purpose behind her trip in the first place. It’s baffling to see the lack of clarity in her intended actions. Some speculated that she wanted to take some time off at her deluxe residence in Brentwood; now, that’s no longer happening.
While the reasons remain shrouded in mystery, a conjecture is being made about whether her decision to return to Washington D.C. shares a link to the burgeoning threat of a partial government shutdown. With Congress still grappling to reach consensus on a funding bill, it’s no wonder they’re in a whirlpool of uncertainty.
The day ended on a particularly low note for the House Republicans. Their attempt to pass a temporary funding bill on Thursday was met with disappointment. It was a no-win situation for them with the bill falling through because it couldn’t garner the support from the required two-thirds majority. A total of 235 members voted against it, including an eyebrow-raising 38 Republicans.
Congress is now considering a spending bill that conveniently sweeps under the rug the records of the notoriously corrupt January 6 committee. In their joint statement, they brazenly shared their underhanded intentions. However, their plan was thwarted for a while as their newly proposed funding bill was rendered a failure.
The congressmen have a daunting task of escalating the outlandish Debt Ceiling swiftly. Otherwise, there will be no scope for reaching a viable agreement. As a result, it’s a critical juncture where decisions need to be urgently made to prevent serious repercussions.
If the House fails to pass a new funding bill, it will cause a domino effect leading to devastation. The federal government could potentially experience a shortage of funds over the weekend, creating a full-blown crisis. This dire eventuality would trigger a partial shutdown, further compounding the government’s troubles.
The results of a shutdown are nothing short of catastrophic. It could lead to a considerable number of state employees being forced to vacate their posts and return home. Furthermore, those who manage to hang onto their jobs would be made to continue working without compensation. A resolution needs to come quickly before the situation spirals out of control.
Following Thursday’s vote, a seemingly unperturbed Johnson reassured, ‘We’re going to regroup and we will come up with another solution so stay tuned.’ It remains to be seen what this resolution will look like and how the federal government plans to remedy this self-inflicted financial quandary.