The United States government shutdown, which began on October 1, has reached a critical juncture as the House of Representatives prepares for a crucial vote. As we all know, this shutdown is officially the longest in U.S. history. It has left nearly one million federal employees without pay, thrown vital services for low-income Americans – who depend on food stamps – into chaos, and grounded air travelers just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Continuing to show that they lack the negotiating power, Democrats have signaled their priorities in their negotiations. They insist that the current spending bill should include language to extend these tax credits, which would ensure that health insurance remains affordable for 24 million Americans. However, with the government funding deadline coming again on January 30, lawmakers are facing renewed pressure to address the crisis.
The House is set to reconvene at 16:00 EST (21:00 GMT) for an hour of debate before voting on the legislation. Add to that a Republican leadership very confident the spending plan will pass, even with their party’s lackluster majority in the lower chamber. However, some Republican defectors, including Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana, have remained silent about their voting intentions.
Even the longer-term implications of shutdown has been very real and detrimental. With federal workers’ financial future thrown into danger, others have started to stop holding back their anger. One message repeated to citizens is nothing more than, “Government, please just do your job.”
Beyond its calamitous effect on hundreds of thousands of workers, the shutdown has interrupted vital services. Food assistance programs for low-income families have been suspended indefinitely, leaving many at risk of food insecurity among our most vulnerable populations. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, travel delays and cancellations have only added to the unease felt by Thanksgiving travelers.
“Never should have been closed,” said President Donald Trump about this ongoing nightmare. He has made it clear that he will sign the spending plan into law if it passes through Congress.
Democrats have been consistently opposed to the dangerous short-sightedness found in this current spending bill. They bash it as a dangerous, radical plan that will increase the cost of living for working Americans. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stated, “We’re strongly opposed as House Democrats to this reckless Republican effort to continue to raise the high cost of living on everyday Americans.”
Partisanship is fracturing both parties. Opinion polling found that voters hold Republicans responsible for the impending shutdown more than they do for Democrats. Internal fissures among Democrats have been laid bare. Leading Democratic and Republican party leaders are promising to fight the spending plan, with some worried about what cuts will be done to their constituents’ benefit.
More recently, Republicans have proposed such a budget—which would increase the national debt by an average of $1.8 trillion per year. Currently, that debt is an eye-popping $38 trillion. Lawmakers are now being held responsible by both parties as financial pressures mount. They need to artfully balance the demands of paying for new ways of conducting government business with the need to meet pressing social demands.