00:00 Good day, I am William Thio and this is PTV News Now.
00:16 The US government is heading for a shutdown on October 1st.
00:20 This if the Republican-controlled House of Representatives can't strike a deal or can't
00:26 coalesce around a dozen spending bills that have so far divided the party.
00:31 VOA's Arash Arabasadi has more.
00:36 In less than one week, the US government will shut down if Congress can't come to agreements
00:41 on spending bills that have so far exposed divisions within the Republican Party.
00:46 A group of ultra-right-wing conservatives has threatened mutiny against and the ouster
00:51 of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy following a spending compromise between him and President
00:56 Joe Biden earlier this year to avoid defaulting on the nation's debt.
01:00 This is because Republicans can't, on the Hill, can't even agree among themselves.
01:04 And remember, Kevin McCarthy and Speaker McCarthy and President Biden made a deal.
01:09 And that deal was tough for all sides.
01:11 Frankly, it was tough for our department.
01:13 It meant cutting back on some things we wanted to do, some funds we were going to use to
01:18 improve roads and bridges and airports.
01:19 But we accepted that because that was the deal that was made earlier this year.
01:23 And now all we're doing is asking them to live up to that deal.
01:29 That same group of Republicans who are members of the controlling party in the House of Representatives
01:34 wants deep cuts to domestic spending as well as to US support for Ukraine in its ongoing
01:39 war against invading Russia.
01:41 President Biden last week welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White
01:46 House after the two spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
01:51 Biden pledged continued and unwavering support to Ukraine.
01:54 The people of Ukraine are steeled for this struggle ahead.
01:58 And the United States is going to continue to stand with you.
02:01 McCarthy left $300 million of funding for Ukraine in an embattled defense spending bill
02:06 before the House of Representatives.
02:08 It's something unlikely to endear his far right flank.
02:12 I'll bet on Kevin McCarthy any day.
02:14 And we certainly have time yet to go.
02:15 But he's in a very difficult position because the holdouts keep saying to Kevin McCarthy,
02:20 don't bring bipartisan bills to the floor.
02:22 We don't want you to use Democrat votes to try to avert a shutdown.
02:26 But they're using Democrat votes to try to cause a shutdown.
02:29 And these individuals, these Republican holdouts are voting with Nancy Pelosi against Republican
02:35 bills that have been brought to the floor.
02:37 McCarthy's party holds a slim majority in the House.
02:40 Even as few as five Republican defectors are enough to derail any legislation the majority
02:45 attempts to pass.
02:47 Lawmakers who spent the weekend away from Washington returned Tuesday to try again to
02:51 avert a government shutdown, which will happen at 12.01 a.m. October 1st if lawmakers fail
02:57 to agree on even a short-term funding bill.
03:00 Arash Erebosadi, VOA News.
03:04 Meanwhile, the United States prosecutors have charged Senator Bob Menendez of bribery together
03:11 with his wife.
03:12 The two allegedly took bribes from three New Jersey businessmen.
03:17 Bribery and conspiracy charges threaten the political future of one of the United States'
03:22 most influential senators.
03:25 Menendez, his wife, and the businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Dabies are all
03:31 expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on September 27 to face charges of conspiracy
03:38 to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.
03:42 The senator stepped down temporarily as chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee
03:48 until the case is resolved.
03:50 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and other Democratic state officials called
03:55 on him to resign.
03:57 However, Menendez said he had no plans to resign from the Senate.
04:03 In other news, archaeologists in Peru uncovered eight mummies and pre-Inca objects while on
04:09 an excavation work to expand a gas network.
04:13 The site is now home to a new housing development, a road, and several popular grilled chicken
04:19 restaurants.
04:20 It is not the first time that the company in charge of distributing gas to the inhabitants
04:25 of Peru's capital city had to suspend work because of such discoveries.
04:30 This is William Theo.
04:35 Stay informed, be aware, get ahead, be a fuse, get the news right here.
04:39 [Music]
Comments