Republicans have just proposed a seven-week extension of funding. It doesn’t address Democrats’ Medicaid demands, but it will increase lawmakers’ security.
Returning to Congress, government closures that could possibly close the government
Congress is facing the possibility of government shutdowns as Democrats push back GOP budget cuts and demands.
WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans introduced short-term funding measures on September 16th, leaving the government open until just before Thanksgiving.
In hopes to avoid a seemingly inevitable shutdown, the bill will mostly maintain its current funding levels until November 21st. It also adds nearly $90 million to enhance the security of Congress, Supreme Court justice and executive officers following the September 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
But the bill will do nothing to address Democrats’ concerns about what they call the “immediate health care crisis.” It warns that Medicaid cuts recently enacted by the Republican Party and the Affordable Care Act subsidies are about to wreak havoc across the country. They refuse to attack funding contracts unless these issues are addressed.
“There’s no chance we’ll do that,” House Speaker of R-louisiana Mike Johnson said of eliminating Medicaid cuts. And he argued that the impending changes to “Obamacare” should not be related to time-sensitive government funding transactions, as they will not be in effect until the end of this year.
These differences will once the funding is gone on September 30th, again increasing the chances of the government being shut down. The leaders of both parties have already pointed to their fingers.
“By refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are leading our country straight to shutdown,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakem Jeffries said in a joint statement.
Meanwhile, Johnson said Democrats are embarking on “the fool’s gambit.”
“Some of them seem to believe shutting down the government will be some kind of life raft for them so that they can regain support from the American people,” he said.
Zachary Schermele is a council reporter for USA Today. You can contact him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @Zachschermele and follow Bluesky at @Zachschermele.bsky.social.
