Congress scrambles to avert Friday night government shutdown – National & International News- TUE 17Dec2024

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has released a text for a continuing resolution, a stopgap budget bill. Johnson described it as a “clean” and “very skinny” resolution which would keep the government funded at current levels until March 14th.

In addition to the regular funding, the continuing resolution also contains funding to aid those affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this year. Despite the immense devastation, and FEMA’s dwindling budget, Congress has been very sluggish to replenish the agency’s coffers, as well as funds for the now completely depleted Small Business Administration, which provides low interest loans to people and businesses affected by natural disasters.

As seems always to be the case, Congress is beginning work up against a very tight deadline. If Johnson gives members 72 hours to read the bill and allows the House Rules Committee to review the text, this resolution will come for a vote on Friday at the earliest. If there is no resolution at midnight on Friday, there will be a partial federal government shutdown.

By the time Johnson’s proposed continuing resolution runs out in March, president-elect Trump will have taken office, and the Republicans will have control of both the House and the Senate. House Republicans will then have much more leeway to get some of their priorities through in a full budget.

Nevertheless, some hardline House Republicans are unhappy with Johnson’s plan for a continuing resolution, and could potentially delay its urgent passage. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a Texas Republican who sits on the Rules Committee, told reporters after the House GOP conference meeting Tuesday morning that “this is not the process that we signed up for,” saying lawmakers are supposed to be able to amend and debate key legislation on the House floor.

“We get this negotiated crap and we’re forced to eat this crap sandwich,” Roy said. “Why? Because freaking Christmas is right around the corner. It’s the same dang thing every year — legislate by crisis, legislate by calendar, not legislate because it’s the right thing to do.”

Amazon delivery drivers and warehouse workers at facilities in New York, Illinois, and California have threatened to go on strike during the retail giant’s most profitable season. Workers at the JFK 8 Warehouse in Staten Island, New York, were the first Amazon workers to vote to join a union in 2022. Their victory was certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Despite this, Amazon has refused to recognize the union or bargain with them.

Workers at other facilities across the country are in a similar boat. Workers at key facilities in Skokie, IL, San Bernardino, CA, and San Francisco, CA, have elected to join forces with the Teamsters, one of the most powerful unions in the US. However, well many have signed cards, they have no NLRB certified votes.

These drivers are the backbone of Amazon’s delivery and warehouse network, and often work under very difficult conditions. Amazon has been accused of labor rights abuses in the past, both of its drivers and its warehouse workers. However, while many of these drivers work exclusively for an Amazon, they are not classified as Amazon employees, but as “independent contractors“. This makes their membership in the Teamsters somewhat nebulous. Despite this lack of clarity, the Teamsters organization claims to represent them and accuses Amazon of refusing to recognize their membership and bargain with them in good faith.

Customers in most places in the United States are not likely to see a noticeable disruption in service, even if strikes go ahead. The total number of workers involved is about 7,000, which is a very small fraction of Amazon’s total US warehouse workforce of 740,000.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

This morning, Russian Lt. General Igor Kirillov was killed in a bomb blast in Moscow, along with his assistant. Ukrainian intelligence agency SBU has claimed responsibility for the assassination, and called the targeted killing “legitimate”. Ukraine, the US, and the UK say that Kirillov headed Russia’s nuclear and chemical defense forces. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused the Russian military, and Kirillov in particular, of deploying chemical weapons on the battlefield that are banned for use in combat.

A study by the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons (OPCW) was able to confirm that Russian forces have deployed a type of tear gas against Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield. While this chemical is used in some places against protesters, it apparently is impermissible in combat. The OPCW has not been able to confirm Ukraine’s accusations that Russian forces have used chloropicrin, a substance first deployed in war during World War I. Chloropicrin can cause choking, dizziness, vomiting, and in severe cases, death.

Russia has denied using chemical weapons on the battlefield. They also claim to have found a laboratory for producing chemical weapons near Avdiivka in Donetsk. These accusations have not been verified.