Biden shies spotlight as US government shutdown looms: Reports

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – US President Joe Biden is opting to stay out of the public eye amid what could become one of the final domestic challenges of his presidency, namely a government shutdown at 12 midnight local time Friday (1600GMT), local media reported.

The White House and Democrats are framing the impending government shutdown as a problem for Republicans to address on their own. As too many Republicans object to the deal, it needs Democratic votes to pass, but Democrats have demanded money for such causes as research into childhood cancer in exchange for their votes.

The situation worsened on Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump issued a last-minute statement criticizing the proposed deal, saying it favored Democratic priorities too much. Over 100 posts on X by its owner, Elon Musk, a top Trump ally, making arguments against the deal, many of them marred by inaccuracies and misunderstandings, further fueled the flames.

The deal, negotiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson with fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, was intended to keep the government funded through March.

Trump’s opposition to the agreement raises doubts about his support for Johnson in the upcoming House speaker’s race, set for early next year under the newly elected Congress.

As the threat of a shutdown grew on Thursday, Democratic lawmakers and the White House focused on highlighting the broader consequences for millions of US citizens.

They underlined that the impact would not only affect government employees missing paychecks but also crucial state-level services, such as disaster relief, which could be jeopardized if the funding deal collapses.

Trump focused on trying to blame the Democrats and Biden. "If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under 'TRUMP’," he wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Trump is due to take office on Jan. 20.