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Washington Week Ahead -- {24 Sept 2023} -- {USAGM}
September 24, 2023
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptWashington Week Ahead (TV)
HEADLINE: Possible Government Shutdown Looms over Washington Amid House Republicans' Infighting
TEASER: Funding for the federal government runs dry at midnight, September 30. Far-right members of the House Republican caucus threaten to sink negotiations and expel House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from leadership
PUBLISHED AT: 9/24/23
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: AP/ ABC “THIS WEEK”/ 3RD ASSAULT BRIGADE
SCRIPT EDITORS: sv; caw
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP/ ABC “THIS WEEK”/ 3RD ASSAULT BRIGADE
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:28
NOTE:
VID APPROVED BY: SV
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO)) [[The U.S. government is less than one week away from a shutdown if the Republican-controlled House of Representatives can’t coalesce around a dozen spending bills that have so far divided the party. Some Republicans have gone so far as to threaten the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]]
((STILL, US CONGRESS, WASH DC, AP, 12/14/2022))
((NARRATOR))
In less than one week, the U.S. government will shut down if Congress can’t come to agreements on spending bills that have so far exposed divisions within the Republican Party.
((MCCARTHY, WASH DC, AP, 09/21))
((BIDEN, WASH DC, AP, 09/22))
((NARRATOR))
A group of ultra-rightwing conservatives has threatened mutiny against - and the ouster of - House Speaker Kevin McCarthy following a spending compromise between him and President Joe Biden earlier this year to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt.
[RADIO TRACK: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaking on ABC’s “This Week”]
((ABC “THIS WEEK”))
((AP))
((mandatory cg ABC “This Week”))
((Pete Buttigieg, US Transportation Secretary))
“This is because Republicans on the Hill can’t even agree among themselves. And remember, Kevin McCarthy – Speaker McCarthy – and President Biden made a deal, and that deal was tough for all sides. Frankly, it was for our department. It meant cutting back on some things we wanted to do – some funds we were going to use to improve roads and bridges and airports – but we accepted that, because that was the deal that was made earlier this year, and now all we’re doing is asking them to live up to that deal.”
((UKRAINE WAR, AP, 09/16))
((mandatory cg 3RD ASSAULT BRIGADE))
((NARRATOR))
That same group of Republicans, who are members of the controlling party in the House of Representatives, wants deep cuts to domestic spending as well as to U.S. support for Ukraine in its ongoing war against invading Russia.
((BIDEN/ZELENSKYY, WHITE HOUSE, AP, 09/21))
((NARRATOR))
President Biden last week welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House after the two spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Biden pledged continued and unwavering support to Ukraine.
[RADIO TRACK: US President Joe Biden on US Network Pool as provided by the Associated Press.]
((BIDEN))
((AP))
“The people of Ukraine are steeled for this struggle ahead, and the United States is going to continue to stand with you.”
((NARRATOR))
McCarthy left 300 million dollars of funding for Ukraine in an embattled defense spending bill before the House of Representatives. It’s something unlikely to endear his far-right flank.
[RADIO TRACK: Republican Representative Mike Turner speaking on ABC’s “This Week”]
((AP))
((mandatory cg ABC “THIS WEEK”))
((Rep. Mike Turner, Republican))
“I’ll be on Kevin McCarthy any day, and we certainly have time yet to go, but he’s in a very difficult position, because the holdouts keep saying to Kevin McCarthy, ‘Don’t bring bipartisan bills to the floor. We don’t want you to use Democrat votes to try to avert a shutdown.’ But they’re using Democrat votes to try to cause a shutdown. And these individuals – these Republican holdouts – are voting with Nancy Pelosi against Republican bills that have been brought to the floor.”
((VAR, MCCARTHY VOTE FOR SPEAKER, CONGRESS, AP, 01/06))
((NARRATOR))
McCarthy’s party holds a slim majority in the House. Even as few as five Republican defectors are enough to derail any legislation the majority attempts to pass. Lawmakers, who spent the weekend away from Washington, return Tuesday to try again to avert a government shutdown, which will happen at 12:01 a.m. October first if lawmakers fail to agree on even a short-term funding bill.
((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
in Washington D. C.
Embargo DateSeptember 24, 2023 11:16 EDT
Byline
Arash Arabasadi, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
