Who is to blame for the government shutdown? Americans speak out
From furloughed workers to small business owners, Americans told USA TODAY Network how the government shutdown is impacting their lives.
WASHINGTON – The government shutdown, now in its third week and the second longest on record at 22 days, shows no signs of letting up as Democrats and Republicans blame trade issues and President Donald Trump prepares to leave the country for a multi-day trip to Asia.
President Trump gathered Senate Republicans at the White House on Tuesday, slamming Democrats and declaring, “We will not be extorted by this crazy plot of theirs.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on President Trump to meet with Democrats before leaving office.
“Things are getting worse every day for the American people,” Schumer said on the same day. “He should talk to us and negotiate seriously before he leaves.”
President Trump departs on Friday, finishing with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in South Korea, where he is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Democrats continue to insist on expanding health care costs — extending Affordable Care Act subsidies and restoring Medicaid benefits — as a condition for reopening the government. But Republicans say the government should be reopened before health care talks begin.
On October 20, the Senate failed for the 11th time to approve a government funding bill that had been passed by the House by November 21. Three Democrats have joined Republicans, but Republicans need five more Democrats to pass the 60-vote threshold to send the bill to President Trump.
Meanwhile, the shutdown will drag on as employees continue to be unpaid, flights are delayed, and food assistance to low-income households may be lost.
Here’s the latest information about the shutdown:
While the closure continues with no end in sight, here are some important upcoming dates:
- On Wednesday, the shutdown became the second-longest at 22 days, surpassing the 21 days during the Clinton administration in 1995-1996. The longest funding lapse was 35 days in 2018-2019.
- On Friday, federal workers will begin losing their first full paycheck. Workers received partial checks on October 10, and the administration transferred funds to pay the military on October 15. But more than $1.8 million in paychecks (scheduled to be paid Oct. 24, 28, or 30, depending on the agency) will be withheld from civilian workers, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
- On November 1, open enrollment begins under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Premiums are expected to more than double unless the subsidy is extended, which is due to expire on December 31st. Most Senate Democrats have voted against reopening the government unless tax credits are extended, but Republicans say the government should reopen before health care negotiations.
The Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday for the 12th time on a short-term funding bill to reopen the government.
This measure is expected to fail again.
The timing of the vote will be influenced by how long Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) continues to speak on the Senate floor in protest of the Trump administration. The nearly 69-year-old lawmaker had been in the chamber for 15 hours as of 9:15 a.m.
– Zachary Charmelet
As Americans begin to gnash their teeth at the impending effects of the government shutdown, at least one Democratic lawmaker says it’s time to scrap the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule.
“We kept killing the filibuster, and now we love it,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) said this week. “Clean it up so we can move forward. I support that, because it makes it more difficult to shut down the government in the future. And that’s a perfectly valid point.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has pushed for the spending bill to pass with a simple majority and reopen the government, as has Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).
But Mr. Fetterman, known as the party’s maverick, was one of the few Democrats to join Senate Republicans in voting for the spending bill that is at the center of Washington’s gridlock.
He told reporters at a briefing Tuesday that the shutdown situation is getting worse by the day, citing how close to depletion U.S. food stamps are.
“I don’t want to hear Democrats clutching their pearls about the filibuster,” Fetterman said. “We all ran over it.”
– Philip M. Bailey
In recent weeks, the Senate has repeatedly rejected bills that would have reopened the government in the short term until November 21st. With only a month left until that day, Republicans are in a difficult position.
As the government shutdown drags on, Republican leaders in Congress will soon have to decide whether and by how much to extend that deadline.
Exactly how far in the future the new deadline should be scheduled will be a difficult question. Moderates would rather have a shorter funding patch to create a regular spending bill, while other moderates don’t want any more shutdown brinkmanship until early next year.
Despite the scheduling headaches, there is still no sign that the funding bill will pass unless Republicans and Democrats reach an agreement on health care.
Approximately 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed and ordered not to report to work during the government shutdown.
Employees deemed essential to public safety, such as military personnel, law enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents, and air traffic controllers, are required to work regardless.
Yes, Social Security payments, including Supplemental Security Income, retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, will continue during the government shutdown.
Social Security benefit programs are considered mandatory expenditures by law and are therefore not affected by the expiration of appropriations. Payments will continue to be made regularly during the shutdown.
Social Security offices will remain open during the closure, but only some services will be available.
– Sudiksha Kochi and Melina Khan
The U.S. Postal Service does not rely on Congress for funding, so it will continue to operate during the government shutdown.
USPS said in a Sept. 25 statement that it is an “independent entity that is generally funded through the sale of our products and services, rather than through tax dollars.”
This is the 22nd day of the government shutdown and three weeks after lawmakers stalled on Capitol Hill, leaving thousands of federal workers without pay, increasing flight delays and threatening food assistance to low-income families.
This is the 15th closure since 1981 and is now the second longest closure in U.S. history. The longest shutdown occurred during President Trump’s first term, lasting 35 days from December 22, 2018 to January 25, 2019.
– Rebecca Morin
