‘Will they change course?’: US Senate in deadlock over government shutdown

The “Shutdown melodrama continues,” I suppose.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana summarized the third day of the government shutdown in a manner that sounds like a sigh.

Prior to a weekend break, the US Senate reconvened on Friday to vote once more on a continuing resolution that would fund the government through November 21.

Republicans have referred to the resolution as a “clean” budget bill that upholds the status quo. Democrats have stated that they will not take any legislation into account that does not take into account healthcare spending into account.

By the end of the year, the Affordable Care Act subsidies are expected to expire, leading to a rise in insurance premiums for many Americans. Democrats have also urged Republicans to reconsider changes to Medicaid, the government’s program for low-income households, following the passage of a bill earlier this year that narrows its requirements.

However, there is no known solution to the impasse over Capitol Hill, with both parties sharing the blame. On both sides, there was frustration.

Kennedy remarked on the Senate floor, “This shutdown is bone-deep, down-to-the-marrow stupid.”

Democrats rejected the Republicans’ proposal, which had previously been divided by party lines, for a fourth time on Friday.

Only three senators, including independent Angus King of Maine and Democratic John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, split in the party caucus.

Senator Rand Paul also declined to cast a ballot alongside members of his party on the Republican side. He claimed that his concern was with the government’s ability to finance the program.

The 100-seat Senate chamber’s vote resulted in a 54 to 44 vote, which is far below the 60 votes required by Republicans to overthrow a Democratic filibuster to scuttle the bill.

Democrats’ bill proposes a bill that would allocate more than $1 trillion to healthcare spending as a counterproposal. However, that also lost a Senate vote.

Capitol Hill’s finger-pointing

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated in a press conference that negotiations on the healthcare issue could only be resolved if the Republicans changed their strategy.

“Today, the Republicans performed the same play and produced the same outcomes.” Will they alter their course, asks the question? he told the media.

Republicans were accused of “wasting a week” with four votes that ended up being equal.

He stated that “my caucus and Democrats are adamant that we must protect the American people’s healthcare.” The White House and other Republicans have pledged to make this a “maximum pain” shutdown rather than attempt to bargain with Democrats and reopen the government.

Republicans were also accusing the Democrats of trying to stifle the process rather than sticking with the status quo.

Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that Medicaid programs needed to be overhauled urgently.

“Medicaid has experienced a lot of fraud and abuse, so we made a change,” he said. Why? At a press conference, he stated, “To help increase and improve the quality of American health services for the population.” There were many people who were never supposed to be on Medicaid.

In preparation for the Democratic Party’s 2028 primary, Johnson claimed Schumer “has got to show that he’s fighting Republicans.”

However, the federal workers who were stranded in the middle of the shutdown were shown compassion on both sides of the aisle.

Almost 750, 000 people are being furloughed each day as the shutdown drags on, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Non-paying employees are required to continue working.

According to the budget office’s statistics, the total pay for the furloughed employees is about $400 million per day. Federal employees will eventually receive backpay after the shutdown is over, but only after the government employee fair treatment act, which was passed in 2019.

tactics of pressure

Johnson issued a notice on Friday afternoon that the House of Representatives would not be in session until at least October 14 in an effort to pressure the Democrats to pass the continuing resolution.

Instead, his memo instructed representatives to work in districts other than the US capital.

The Senate should be pressured to take action on the House’s already-passed continuing resolution, according to that announcement. Prior to Johnson’s announcement, the House was anticipating starting its work at the Capitol on October 7.

Meanwhile, the majority leader of the Senate, John Thune, made the announcement that he would weigh the Democrats’ concerns regarding healthcare until the government was reopened.

He could not be certain that the Democrats’ aborted healthcare subsidies would be reinstated.

Because we can’t guarantee that there will be enough votes to support the COVID subsidies, we can’t make commitments or promises about them. However, Thune said that I’m open to discussions with our Democratic colleagues regarding how to address that issue.

“But that can’t happen while the government is in disarray,” he said.

Meanwhile, Republican President Donald Trump has threatened to use the shutdown as an opportunity to reduce government spending and funding for initiatives that favor Democratic strongholds.

His administration has already announced that it is suspending about $ 8 billion in clean energy initiatives as well as $ 18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects, including those involving tunnels under the Hudson River.

However, Chicago, Illinois, was made known on Friday by Russ Vought, Trump’s director for the US Office of Management and Budget.

Vought claimed on social media that two $2.1 billion infrastructure projects in Chicago have been put on hold to prevent funding from flowing through race-based contracting.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated at a press briefing that a reduction in the federal workforce was being planned, and that Vought and agency leaders had met to discuss layoffs.

This government shutdown may be over, if Democrats follow the right course. Our soldiers can recoup their pay. Leavitt said, “We can go back to serving the American people.”

“But layoffs are an unfortunate consequence of this shutdown continuing, as we’ve already said.

However, Democratic leaders rejected the threat as being used as a distraction from the pressing issue of healthcare.

Schumer&nbsp argued in his remarks that Republican leaders should respond in accordance with Schumer’s claim that healthcare was a top priority for both Republican districts.

Source: Aljazeera