In The Headlines: Five National Stories to Know this Week

On Capitol Hill, a looming government shutdown, an impeachment inquiry into Biden and threats of ousting Speaker McCarthy from his leadership job drive the week. Credit: Emily Stellakis '23.

Congress Barrels Toward Government Shutdown as Sept. 30 Funding Deadline Looms

The countdown is on for Congress to pass a spending package to avert a total government shutdown.

Lawmakers must pass a dozen spending bills in both chambers before government funding expires on Sept. 30, but House conservatives are demanding steep spending cuts and other reforms while threatening to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R - Calif.) if they don’t get their way. 

With time running out for Congress to push through spending bills to fund the operations of federal agencies, President Biden and congressional leaders are focused on passing a short-term funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep the government running while lawmakers iron out the budget, according to AP News. The House Freedom Caucus – the band of hard-line conservatives holding up funding bills – wants to see sizable spending cuts and policy changes related to border security, the Justice Department and the Pentagon. Such a package is unlikely to win support from Democrats and would set up a clash with the Senate. 

Should the House stalemate continue, the federal government would enter its fourth shutdown in a decade beginning on Oct. 1.

House opens Impeachment Inquiry into President Biden

Amid the spending standoff in the House, Speaker McCarthy announced on Sept. 12 that he is directing the House to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family’s business dealings. The long-shot probe comes as the Republican speaker faces mounting pressure from the right flank of his party to take action against the president or risk being ousted from his leadership job.

McCarthy said the inquiry would focus on "allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" by Biden, as conservatives aim to link the president with the business dealings of his son, Hunter.

Biden brushed off the impeachment inquiry, saying, “The best I can tell is they want to impeach me because they want to shut down the government.”

Hunter Biden Indicted on Federal Gun Charges

Federal prosecutors have indicted Hunter Biden, the president’s son, on charges of providing false statements to authorities and illegal possession of a gun. 

Hunter Biden was indicted on Sept. 14 in federal court in Delaware on three counts related to possession of a gun while using narcotics. The indictment sets the stage for a potential criminal trial coinciding with his father’s re-election campaign.

As reported by the New York Times, the indictment puts the Biden Justice Department in the unique position of prosecuting cases against both the president’s son and former President Donald J. Trump as Biden and Trump hit the campaign trail and prepare for a likely rematch in 2024.

United Auto Workers Launches Unprecedented Strike targeting Big Three U.S. Automakers

About 13,000 workers in the United Auto Workers union began a strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis on Sept. 15 after a contract dispute over pay, pensions and work hours. The move marks the first time the union has staged walkouts against all three of the major Detroit automakers at once.

President Biden sided with the workers, saying he understands their frustrations and that corporate profits had not been shared fairly.

Prolonged strikes could push vehicle prices higher and threaten to disrupt the economy in key states Biden needs to win for re-election.

Dept. of Education ramps up campaign to promote Biden's SAVE plan for Student Loans

The Department of Education is pushing a marketing campaign to get more Americans to sign up for its new income-driven student loan repayment plan. The “Saving on A Valuable Education,” or SAVE, plan lowers monthly payments and caps interests on student loans and was unveiled after the Supreme Court overturned President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan earlier this summer.

Biden officials are touting the program as an invaluable tool to help millions of Americans manage their federal student loan payments, which are set to resume in October for the first time since the pandemic.
More than 4 million borrowers are enrolled in the program, according to the Education Department. The Department announced they have partnered with over 100 organizations to inform more Americans on how they can take advantage of the SAVE plan and other student loan resources.