The United States is turning the page on budgetary paralysis

(Washington) The United States officially turned the page on Tuesday on the paralysis of part of the federal administration which lasted three days against a backdrop of political dissension around the immigration police (ICE).

President Donald Trump congratulated himself at the White House on a “great victory for the American people” by signing the budget text adopted earlier by the House of Representatives.

It makes it possible to put an end to the “shutdown” in force since Saturday due to a bitter exchange of arms between Republicans and Democrats over the financing of ICE, whose role is at the center of criticism after the death of two Americans under the bullets of federal agents.

“We have succeeded in adopting a set of responsible budgetary measures that reduce unnecessary federal spending while supporting programs essential to the security and prosperity of the American people,” commented Donald Trump in the Oval Office, surrounded by officials from his Republican camp wearing “America is back” caps.

The text was narrowly adopted despite the “no” of 21 Republicans categorically refusing to renegotiate the budget of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on which ICE depends, a demand from the Democrats.

In all, however, 21 Democrats voted in favor, offsetting the votes of these Republican holdouts.

Supported by Donald Trump, the Republican leader of the House, Mike Johnson, had spent a good part of the last two days negotiating with refractory elected officials from his camp.

Minneapolis

This paralysis of the central administration finds its origins in Minneapolis, in the north of the United States.

Democrats are outraged by the death at the end of January of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old American nurse shot and killed by federal agents on the sidelines of demonstrations against the anti-migrant operations of ICE agents, in this Midwestern metropolis.

Her death came less than three weeks after that of Renee Good, who was also shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Since then, Democrats have insisted on their refusal to pass any budget for DHS without significant reforms to ICE.

In particular, they demand the systematic use of body-worn cameras for agents, a ban on the wearing of balaclavas and even that a judicial warrant precede any arrest.

“Negotiate in good faith”

“No one is above the law. ICE agents should be held to the same rules as any other member of law enforcement in this country,” Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference Monday at the Capitol.

The text adopted Tuesday approves five out of six budget sections, while the part concerning DHS will be the subject of new negotiations over the next two weeks.

“We have two weeks now to negotiate in good faith on both sides” of the chamber, Mike Johnson said Tuesday.

If negotiations fail, DHS could find itself alone in a situation of budgetary paralysis. However, it would have several billion dollars of funds already approved last year by Congress in a separate text.

Between October and November last year, the United States experienced the longest “shutdown” in its history (43 days), during which Republicans and Democrats fought over the question of subsidies for health insurance for millions of Americans.