President Joe Biden blames 'extreme Republicans' for the imminent threat of a government shutdown

President Joe Biden on Saturday blamed "a small group of extreme Republicans" for a budget impasse that has placed the US government a week away from a shutdown, urging the lawmakers to resolve the issue.

Biden stated at an awards dinner for the Congressional Black Caucus that he and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy had previously agreed on government spending levels.

"Now that a small group of extreme Republicans refuse to uphold the agreement, everyone in the United States may be forced to pay the price," he said.

The 30th of September at midnight is the deadline for US lawmakers to reach an agreement on a spending bill before funding for government services runs out.

"Funding the government is one of the most basic responsibilities of Congress. It's time for Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do. Let's get this done," Biden added.

A government shutdown would put the finances of hundreds of thousands of workers at federal parks, museums, and other sites at risk, but it could also carry significant political costs for Biden, who is running for re-election.

The White House desires that any budget approved by Congress include $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Kiev.

While Democrats and Republicans in the Senate support this proposal, some House members are vehemently opposed to it.

Regularly, the budget vote in Congress devolves into a stalemate between the two parties, with each side using the threat of a government shutdown to extract concessions from the other -- until a last-minute compromise is reached.