Congress Seemingly at a Standstill as Shutdown Pain Escalates
We’re entering week three of the government shutdown, and Congress still does not have a clear path forward toward ending the shutdown and getting federal employees fully back on their jobs and paid for their work.
The Senate is expected to vote again Tuesday on both Republican and Democratic measures to reopen the government. The Democratic bill contains a provision extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, a key sticking point. Democrats insist the subsidy extension is included in a funding extension while Republicans want to visit the issue after the government is reopened.
But in a change, Senate Republicans say after this vote, they will no longer allow Democrats to keep calling up their version of the stopgap funding bill, hoping to raise the pressure on Democrats.
“I kind of think when they’re down to a binary choice … they are more likely to vote yes,” Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said about the shift in strategy.
But Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) says Republicans may change their tune as we get close to the November 1 ACA reenrollment period.
“The closer to Nov. 1, a lot of these elected officials are going to start hearing from their constituents,” said Senator Gallego.
Also, Politico reported there are signs that Republicans are preparing for talks on the ACA subsidies, with some in House leadership having “early, informal conversations with officials from the White House to develop a framework for a deal.”
Meanwhile, the House is still in recess and Speaker Mike Johnson insists that he will not call the House back as he aims to pressure Democrats into accepting the GOP plan.
“We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history, unless Democrats dropped their partisan demands and passed a clean, no-strings-attached budget to reopen the government and pay our federal workers,” said Speaker Johnson (R-LA).
Talks between the top four congressional leaders have been nonexistent. There’s also no sign that five rank and file Senate Democrats are ready to flip their votes and end the shutdown.
“Speaker Mike Johnson and I have not met because Donald Trump has not given them permission to meet,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). “We know that until Donald Trump gives them permission to meet, they’re going to continue to hide as it relates to sitting down and negotiating a bipartisan agreement.”
Pending Legislation for Military, Federal Workers
Meanwhile. nearly 80 House Democrats signed a letter urging Speaker Johnson to call the House into session and to vote on the bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act (H.R. 5401). The legislation would ensure military personnel, Defense Department civilians and contractors, and U.S. Coast Guard staff all receive pay on a normal schedule during a government shutdown.
And Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) introduced a bill to help federal workers with financial hardships during a shutdown.
The Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act (H.R. 5689) would require regulators to advise financial institutions that people and businesses may face hardships in paying bills or accessing credit during the shutdown, through no fault of their own. The legislation also requests that financial institutions modify loans and extend new credit lines to those impacted.
