The U.S. federal government shutdown is now on day eight, putting nearly a million federal workers in limbo. The federal shutdown started on October 1 and has already forced dozens of national parks, heritage sites and Smithsonian museums to close their doors. It stopped non-essential government operations. Since the shutdown started, as many as 750,000 federal employees have been sent home. This precarious environment has led to an average daily loss of nearly $400 million in driver earnings.
Senate Democrats are in the process of actively blocking a Republican-sponsored appropriations bill. This is a continuation bill with the specific purpose of extending federal government funding through November 21. On Tuesday, cloture on the bill failed to clear the Senate, 52-42. In a counter, Democrats rolled out their own version of the spending bill. We’re thrilled that their plan proposes extending this funding through October 31 and making other healthcare subsidies permanent. Unfortunately, this proposal too was similarly defeated, 55-45 vote.
The continued standoff has real consequences for American households. Without a permanent fix to the PHE resolution, healthcare premiums are set to more than double for millions of people this coming November. Democrats are calling on Republicans to replace the restoration of cuts to Medicaid assistance. They too want to see expiring healthcare subsidies extended as part of any deal.
The financial cost of the shutdown is huge. As it stands, the U.S. government owes furloughed workers around $2.8 billion. The Trump administration takes the position that the law requires Congress to do just that. The union argues that the bill fails to provide backpay for furloughed workers, automatically. A senior White House official stated,
“Does this law cover all these furloughed employees automatically? The conventional wisdom is: Yes, it does. Our view is: No, it doesn’t.”
We could not agree more with Louisiana Senator John Kennedy on this point of congressional action and accountability within the process of funding.
“It’s not up to the president. His opinion matters, but Congress has got to appropriate the money.”
The shutdown is a crisis not just for our federal workers, but for every sector that has been upended by its repercussions. Our nation’s airports are still struggling from near daily flight cancellations and delays thanks to staffing shortages caused by that same shutdown.
“We’ve always paid back pay to the military and federal workers, and Congress has always appropriated the money, and we will this time.”
As this damaging standoff continues, both parties dig in deeper on the ground, exacerbating a dangerous inflammatory environment in Washington. With impacted workers experiencing increasing financial strain and major public services still out of reach, the need for a quick resolution is ever urgent.
As the standoff continues, both parties remain entrenched in their positions, contributing to an increasingly tense atmosphere in Washington. The urgency for a resolution grows as affected workers face mounting financial pressures and public services remain inaccessible.
