Congress Makes Little Progress To Avoid Sunday's Shutdown
How do you feel about another government shutdown?
Updated September 28th, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST
- The two chambers of Congress are making divergent efforts to stop the shutdown on Sunday, which may only increase the odds of federal funds running out. The Democratic Senate is pushing a bipartisan stopgap funding bill while the House prepares to vote on GOP spending bills with limited chances of becoming laws.
- The Senate's bill, known as a continuing resolution, received a 76-22 vote to open debate. The bill would extend funding until Nov. 17 and authorize roughly $6 billion for domestic disaster response funding and to Ukraine. The measure passed two procedural hurdles with strong bipartisan support this week, but House Republicans have already rejected the resolution.
- The House has four partisan appropriation bills are in the works. Even if the measures overcome the solid Democratic opposition, they would not alone prevent a shutdown. Conservatives spearheading these efforts are pushing for deep spending cuts and threatening Speaker Kevin McCarthy's position.
- McCarthy suggested a meeting with Biden, which the White House rejected, saying it was up to Republicans to fix the crisis. Biden said he doesn't believe a shutdown has to be inevitable and urged House Republicans to "do their job, fund the government."
Updated September 21, 2023, 4:45 p.m. EST
- For the second time this week, the House failed to start a debate on the necessary measure to fund the government after five conservative members blocked the bill. The outcast representatives are demanding additional spending cuts.
- With another government shutdown around the corner, Washington leaders left town for the week.
- Rep Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said:
"We are very dysfunctional right now."
- Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), a moderate representative, said:
"For my colleagues, they have to come to a realization: If they are unable or unwilling to govern, others will. And in a divided government where you have Democrats controlling the Senate, a Democrat controlling the White House, there needs to be a realization that you're not going to get everything you want."
Updated September 19, 2023, 2:15 p.m. EST
- The House has decided to postpone the vote on the short-term funding measure as Republican leadership and far-right representatives wrestle with changes to the legislation.
- The U.S. national debt reached $33 trillion on Monday — a milestone reported by the Treasury Department as the possibility of a shutdown becomes increasingly more likely.
- While it was doubtful that the measure would have passed if voted on, many observers are critiquing the government's lack of action as the deadline to fund the government approaches.
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) reported that the House GOP was "nowhere near" passing the legislation. Similarly, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) told reporters that zero progress was made this afternoon.
What’s the story?
- The House is racing to avoid a potential government shutdown as federal funding dries up. Two key GOP factions created a short-term, stopgap measure to fund the government through Oct. 31, but it’s receiving pushback.
- A few members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the moderate Main Street Caucus sponsored the bill. The short-term spending bill would impose an 8% spending cut on federal agencies — not including the national defense budget or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- The temporary measure does not include the White House’s request for $40 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine and natural disasters, which Senate leaders from both parties want to attach to any temporary funding bill.
- The framework needs 218 votes to pass in the House. Speaker Kevin McCarthy is under pressure to get approval from as many Republican representatives as possible, and at least three have already signaled they will not sign off on the bill.
- Democrats are highly expected to reject the bill, leading many to believe a government shutdown is more than likely.
What they’re saying
- Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said on X:
“It’s crystal clear a Gov’t shutdown is coming. I represent 66% of the Texas-Mexico border – a hollowing Continuing Resolution built to win a messaging battle does nothing to keep America safe.”
- Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) wrote on X as well:
“No CR. Pass the damn approps bills. Roll back the crazy bureaucracy to pre-COVID levels. Now.”
- In a statement, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said the resolution was “extreme.”
“Less than two weeks away from a government shutdown, House Republicans are still more focused on introducing extreme funding bills that would cut funding to the National Institutes of Health including funding for cancer research, defund the police, and decrease resources to important allies like Ukraine and Israel than working on bipartisan solution that could be enacted.”
- When asked in an interview on Sunday, McCarthy said the shutdown “would only give strength to Democrats.” He continued:
“It would give the power to Biden. It wouldn’t pay our troops. It wouldn’t pay our border agents. More people would be coming across. I actually want to achieve something.”
- House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said:
“House Republicans have made it clear that they are determined to shut down the government and try to jam their extreme right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people.”
How do you feel about another government shutdown?
-Jamie Epstein
(Photo credit: iStock/Douglas Rissing)
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There have been 21 government shutdowns due to the budget not being approved in a timely manner were federal workers went unpaid during that time, GDP reduced, security downgrades and increased deficits. The 5w shutdown (2018-2019) reduced economic output (GDP) by $20B according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Moody’s. It could also lead to a further downgrade of US securities (Fitch downgraded after the debt limit stand off due to poor governance). And it adds to the givernment deficit with stopping and restarting (reworking) work. The last shutdown added $2B to the deficit.
Apparently the Freedom Caucus doesn’t care as long as they can grandstand, create campaign PR snd fund raise for their own political aspirations and careers on the backs of US taxpayers.
Shutdown History
2018-2019 (President Donald Trump): 34 days 2018 (President Donald Trump): 3 days
2018 (President Donald Trump): 1 day.
2013 (President Barack Obama): 16 days
1995-1996 (President Bill Clinton): 21 days
1995 (President Bill Clinton): Nov. 5 days
1990 (President George H.W. Bush): 3 days
1987 (President Ronald Reagan): 1 day
1986 (President Ronald Reagan): 1 day
1984 (President Ronald Reagan): 1 day
1984 (President Ronald Reagan): 2 days
1983 (President Ronald Reagan): 3 days
1982 (President Ronald Reagan): 3 days
1982 (President Ronald Reagan): 1 day
1981 (President Ronald Reagan): 2 days
1979 (President Jimmy Carter): 11 days
1978 (President Jimmy Carter): 18 days
1977 (President Jimmy Carter): 8 days
1977 (President Jimmy Carter): 8 days
1977 (President Jimmy Carter): 12 days
1976 (President Gerald Ford): 10 days
“Under the Antideficiency Act (initially passed in 1884 and amended in 1950), federal agencies cannot spend or obligate any money without an appropriation (or other approval) from Congress. When Congress fails to enact the 12 annual appropriation bills, federal agencies must cease all non-essential functions until Congress acts. This is known as a government shutdown. If Congress enacts some but not all of the 12 appropriations bills, only agencies without appropriations have to shut down; this is known as a partial shutdown.”
“Evidence from past government shutdowns shows that they reduce economic growth, create financial uncertainty for families, and cause unnecessary government spending. “
“The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the five-week partial government shutdown in 2018-2019 reduced economic output by $11 billion in the following two quarters—including $3 billion that the U.S. economy never regained. Moody's Analytics estimated that the 2013 full government shutdown reduced GDP growth by $20 billion. “
https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/issue-briefs?id=B7FCE9F4-4DFE-495C-8263-AD277CE4716B
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-is-a-government-shutdown-and-why-are-we-likely-to-have-another-one/
https://www.causes.com/comments/65226
https://www.thoughtco.com/government-shutdown-history-3368274
I don't want another government shutdown, but this one will fall squarely on the GOP if it happens. Because the Republicans cannot govern and cannot pass bills that the American people support, they deserve whatever outcome their failures bring them.
I'm sorry for the federal workers and all others who will be affected, but I hope everyone knows who to blame when it's time to vote next year.
Republicans can't govern but they sure can complain. They pound their fists about how senators dress, won't approve military promotions, rant about Hunter Biden, complain about a defecit Trump ran up, and diss climate change. Representatives and Senators will still get paid during a shut down. Ridiculous! #votethemout #educateyoursef #dontgetfooledagain
The budget crisis is now a semi annual crisis! When will congress do their job and stop these emergencies.
We need for the federal government to PERMANENTLY shut down all nonessential services.
Not the end of our country but the 7million immigrants will be.
Republicans have shown they cannot be trusted. They had an agreement with the president to fund the government and are now renegging on that agreement. It's bad enough that they waste all their time with meaningless investigations. Now they won't even keep the government operating. How in the world can they be trusted. Start governing and quit the BS.
Maybe this is what happens when you elect people to govern who admit to hating the government.
Sorry folks. For the past 10 years every Republican House of representaives has held we the people hostage with either a government shut-down or the threat of. If they do not know how to govern, could they just go away?
Talk of financial crisis by the US is an embarassment that has vecome virtually routine. No wonder a large majority are now clamoring for new leadership .
Let the Biden's put something on it. Cut the freebies and send the illegals home.
Government spending is out of control. Shut it down.
Instead of working across the aisle, you joined extremists to slash funding for law enforcement, education, small businesses, and more.
You just voted to cut:
- Funding for the FBI and DEA.
- Social Security Admin. funding.
- $2.7 billion from Army Corps of Engineers infrastructure projects.
- Funding for the Rural Housing Service & Rural Utility Service programs that help rural residents afford homes and utilities.
Mr. Bacon, you need to go! You are unAmerican and certainly not bipartisan.
I am so SICK of this!!! These decisions should be made when the bill for the money is passed. If your party wasn't in power, so sorry. That is why we have elections.
Also, what is the dollar amount that the Trump/Republican Tax Cuts add to the deficit (COVID issues and worldwide shutdown asside)?
We are facing govt shutdown due to spineless speaker of the house and handful of ultra conservative party members. But yet these same people think starting impeachment proceeding against Biden are more important that running our government. What a disgrace.
Never-ending congressional drama. Disgusting governing.
We're not going to listen to any MAGA people trying to blame President Biden or the Democrats for this.
President Biden and Leader Schumer sat down with McCarthy in June and made a deal we largely didn't love to raise the debt ceiling. That was the deal on the budget that was supposed to guide the spending bills for now, because the House GOP wanted to force spending cuts in advance to raise the debt ceiling instead of waiting for the budgeting process.
The House GOP under McCarthy has decided to blow up that deal and try to get even more cuts than the ones the Democrats agreed to in June.
Since the House GOP would need Senate Democrats and the President to agree to anything they want at this point, it's the House GOP's fault that the budget bills haven't passed. Democrats did the negotiations and agreed to their demands once; why bother trying to work with them again after they blew up the deal?
McCarthy, Trump, and company own this shutdown, and they should pay at the ballot box in 2024.
How did a small group of facist Republicans get the power to shutdown our government? These are the same people that supported the insurection and as such should not be able to hold office at all.
They deserve to have their pay held from them everytime they stop the gov't from working! When they return to work their pay scale should be reduced everytime they do it again, (by at least 40%) That will put an end to the games!
CAUSES ASKS: How do you feel about another government shutdown?"
ME:Truly angry that the GOP and it's confused and indoctrinated voters have allowed the MAGAs to become its -- the GOP's -- own representatives. It has/they have allowed, in its/their failure to condemn lies, fraud, criminal behaviour, slander and other such media grabs for years, the situation we, as a country, face today: goverment shut-down (least, perhaps, of the problems), rising political violence, the possible overthrow of any semblance of democratic governance and values, demise of the Constitution and the rule of law. In fact, many of those in Congress admit these goals, with a government shutdown the current and direct aim of their obstructionism and ever growing demands. (I can only imagine what will happen in the future should Trump -- hopfully from jail --succeed Biden) You, the voter -- no matter what your political party -- and the country itself are totally irrelevant in this greedy desire for power and chaos; if you voted for Republicans you are merely a pawn in the MAGA game ...
All knowledgeable representatives in this country and elsewhere around the world place this government shutdown and it's consequences (including another direct hit on US credit worthiness) directly at the feet of the Republican party. I sincerely hope those of you who have willfully bought into its political consipiracies and lies and have voted for its representatives enjoy the fruits of your willful ignorance and stupidly blind loyalty.
Kevin McCarthy, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz- America would be far better off at these three idiots were walked up for their involvement to overthrow the free and fair election and the riot in Congress. Now they're trying to shut down the government keep people from getting Social Security make the sky zone safe etc. etc. etc. these people are not Americans their plants in this country to bring us down they should all be thrown out of office and thrown into prison.
The House, Senate and President agreed to a layout for this budget to avoid a shut down in their negotiations to raise the debt ceiling. All are in agreement on most budget items to approve and the sheer damage and stupidity of a shutdown. That is except the MAGA wing of the republicans in the House who want a shutdown. Throwing little baby tantrums to get social media clicks at all our expense and to (in their imaginations) stop the investigations into their leader Trump and maybe themselves. Not an adult in the lot.
A small group of Extreme Right Wing in the House are holding the country hostage, not for what's best for the Country or even their Party but to advance their own agendas (whatever those are). Their purpose seems to be to destroy our democratic form of the government and are being encouraged by Trump, United States Public Enemy #1. McCarthy has shown absolutely no backbone as Speaker of the House due to fear of those few Extremists in his Party. If the Government is shut down, which appears to be happening, it will eliminate the income for thousands employed by the Government, including military personnel all over the World. People who voted for these miscreants need to remember this and vote them out of office.
A deal was made in May and now the Republicans are going back on it.
There has to be a way to circumvent them and avoid a shut down.
If people are not going to be paid then people in Congress should not get paid either.
The far right freedom cacus needs to stop listening to right wing billionaire donors and right wing old white men like Charles Koch, Paul Singer and Harlan Crowe we need to get dark money out of politics and big money as well
I am mad as hell that the Republicans in the House cannot get themselves together to agree on a budge plan. I am mad as hell that Republicans are allowing themselves to be held hostage by a few nut cases who have no interest in governing and have no interest in the people they supposedly represent, not to mention the millions around the country who will be impacted. The so-called Speaker is a spineless, plan-less, vision-less, program-less, moral-less coward. And apparently there aren't enough Republicans in the House who will stand up to this coward and tell him to get off his ass and get to work. And yet....the smoke-less, fire-less, evidence-less impeachment inquiry goes on, with those staffers being deemed 'essential' while TSA, border security, and many in the military will be furloughed. Others will work without pay or call in sick and snarl up all bona fide essential functions. We need to be rid of Republicans. They are no good sacks of shit and need to be disposed of as such.
It is so unfair that essential workers (like our Military, TSA agents, and border guards ) will not be paid but the people who are NOT doing their job of negotiating a spending bill and getting it passed will still get paid!! The gop is wasting time and taxpayer money by attempting to impeach President Biden with false accusations!!
Congress is hopeless and useless. It is absurd that they get paid for NOT doing their job. They cannot pass a budget or a vialbe immigration policy if their lives depended upon it. I have no idea how these clowns get elected and why anyone codones their waste, fraud, and abuse.
As I'm often told by certain politicians, "get to work & pay your bills!"
this is the government not a negotiating tool. Keep it open!
As I often hear from certain politicians, "get to work & pat your bills!"
this is the government not a negotiating tool. Keep it running