A major milestone in the government shutdown is just around the corner
The ongoing government shutdown could disrupt paychecks, Head Start programs, and health benefits by November.
WASHINGTON – The federal government shutdown entered its 25th day Saturday with no end in sight and any deal could be further delayed as President Donald Trump departs on a six-day trip to Asia that Democrats say should have been scrapped.
President Trump’s Asia tour, which is scheduled to include Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, will keep him away from the deadlock in Congress, which will prevent him from participating in any negotiations aimed at resuming his administration.
President Trump has refused to meet with Democratic Congressional leaders during the nearly four-week shutdown, the second longest shutdown in U.S. history. The president left it to Congress to forge a deal, but he criticized Democrats for voting 12 times against the Republican-backed continuance resolution that would have kept funding at current levels to end the government shutdown.
President Trump departs on Air Force One late Friday night and is scheduled to return to Washington on Thursday, October 30th. Trump will need to be in Washington to sign legislation to reopen the government. President Trump told reporters he did not know if the shutdown would be lifted by the time he returned home.
Schumer criticizes President Trump for traveling abroad during government shutdown
In 2013, when the government shutdown brought work to a standstill in Washington, former President Barack Obama canceled a planned trip to Asia. This week, faced with much the same challenges, President Trump still decided to visit the same region.
Congressional Democrats have been keen to draw that contrast in recent days, criticizing Trump for traveling abroad amid a domestic crisis.
“The President is leaving the country as Americans struggle to make ends meet, federal workers go without pay, and millions of families brace for rising health care costs,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Friday. “Instead of doing his job, President Trump is abandoning it.”
With Trump out of office, Schumer put the onus on Republican lawmakers to come to the table and negotiate with Democrats to end the government shutdown. While the pain for the American people is worsening by the day, it is unlikely that major agreements will be terminated while Republican leaders are around the world. -Zachary Sharmell
President Trump said the anonymous donor who gave $130 million to the Department of Defense to help pay military personnel during the government shutdown was a U.S. citizen.
“He doesn’t want any publicity,” President Trump told reporters on Air Force One on October 24, en route to Asia. “He prefers not to have his name mentioned, which is very unusual in the world I come from, and in the world of politics they want their names to be mentioned.”
The Pentagon confirmed the donation on Oct. 24, marking a dramatic break from the government’s process of funding the military through federal appropriations appropriated by Congress. – darren samuel thorn
The president told reporters on a flight to Asia that he was prepared to meet with Democratic leaders about the government shutdown when he returned to the United States.
“I would love to do that, I would be happy to do that,” Trump said on Air Force One minutes after departing from Andrews Air Force Base. “I would do that now, too. I walked away and said, come on, bring the government back. All they have to do is say yes and that’s it. And we’ll enter into negotiations.”
President Trump and Democrats last met in person just days before the government shutdown began, with a meeting at the White House failing to reach an agreement that led to a 25-day government shutdown. – darren samuel thorn
The Pentagon announced it would accept an anonymous $130 million donation from an ally of Mr. Trump and use it to pay military personnel during the government shutdown.
The move marks a dramatic break from the government’s military funding process, which relies on funds appropriated by Congress. This comes as President Trump is also accepting private donations from wealthy donors to build a $300 billion ballroom on the White House grounds.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed in an Oct. 24 statement that the department accepted the anonymous donation under its “general gift acceptance authority.”
President Trump mentioned the donation in remarks at the White House on Oct. 23, saying that “a friend of mine,” whom the president did not name, recently called him and told him “we want to donate what we’re missing because of the Democratic shutdown.”
“And today he sent us a check for $130 million,” President Trump said.
Military personnel have been working through the government shutdown that began Oct. 1, but like other “essential” workers, their pay is not guaranteed.
At the direction of President Trump, the Pentagon has made changes to the Pentagon’s budget to ensure that 1.3 million active-duty soldiers receive their latest paychecks on October 15th. However, it is unclear whether the government will have the funds to pay the next payroll on October 31st.
President Trump’s plan to use donations to pay military personnel has raised legal and ethical concerns from Democrats. The Pentagon’s March policy outlines how gifts can be used to maintain schools, hospitals and other buildings, and to injured military personnel. The policy also requires the department to consult with ethics officials before accepting gifts over $10,000. – Joey Garrison
Health care policy continues to be a dividing point for Democrats, 24 days into the federal government shutdown.
Senate Democrats have blocked Republican-backed continuing resolutions to fund the government at existing spending levels 12 times. Democrats say their reopening bill should also extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Republican Medicaid cuts passed in the summer.
Republicans have refused to negotiate on health care policy, insisting that health care subsidies should be debated in Congress after the shutdown ends.
Democrats have circled November 1 as a key date for their push. At that time, universal enrollment in the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will begin and millions of Americans will begin purchasing health insurance plans in 2026.
If the subsidies aren’t extended by November, consumers on healthcare.gov could experience sticker shock when they start looking for health plans. If subsidies are not renewed, insurance premiums for millions of Americans are expected to double, according to research organization KFF. – Joey Garrison
Capitol Police union says officers are in dire straits due to shutdown
With the government shutdown almost certain to reach its fifth week, lawmakers’ intransigence is increasingly hurting those charged with protecting them.
Gus Papathanasio, the U.S. Capitol Police union president, said his colleagues are feeling financial pressure as they enter their second pay period without a check.
“My officers are frustrated right now,” he said in a statement Friday. “Some officers are taking out loans to pay rent and support their families. Others are borrowing money from their families for car payments, daycare costs, and student loan payments.”
A competing bill to pay federal workers, including law enforcement officers, during the government shutdown failed in the Senate this week. – Zachary Charmelet
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
