If you have not felt the impact of the ongoing government shutdown, you may soon. The government shutdown reached its third week after dueling proposals in the U.S. Senate failed to generate enough votes to pass the clean resolution put forward by the House of Representatives. The failed vote turned the current shutdown into the second-longest in the nation’s history. The vote came days after United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters that approximately 42 million Americans could lose access to food assistance programs if the shutdown continues into November. According to CBS News, Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans on introducing a bill that will make sure federal employees and military service members will get paid. Last week, the Trump Administration found enough funding in the War Department and Department of Homeland Security’s budget to ensure that service members including those in the U.S. Coast Guard get paid.
The sticking point remains healthcare, with Democrats pushing for enhanced premium tax credits within the Affordable Care Act to be extended. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin hosted virtual press conferences with constituents from La Crosse, Eau Claire, and Milwaukee that represent the 270,000 Wisconsinites she says would save an average of $585 per month if the credits are saved. “This week, I met with folks across Wisconsin who are bracing for their premiums to skyrocket come January, and for some – that price tag will be so high it’ll force them off their health care entirely,” said Senator Baldwin. “Republicans passed tax giveaways for billionaires and corporations, but are refusing to come to the table to lower costs for families across Wisconsin. It’s high time they join me and get this done, before it’s too late.” U.S. Senator Ron Johnson answered several questions on the topic during his regular teletown hall on Monday. He says that the government cannot afford the hundreds of billions of dollars worth of fraud that the ACA, also known as “ObamaCare” has caused.
He added that he would love to talk to Democrats about how to fix the damage caused by the ACA, but he does not want to hold government employees hostage while those discussions take place. Johnson also championed his Eliminate Shutdowns Act, which would establish a two-week rolling continuing appropriations process, keeping spending at last year’s levels until a new bill is passed. He blames the “uniparty” for not supporting the legislation, charging them with using the threat of a shutdown to spend more money.
