Shutdown Deepens as Hunger, Flight Chaos, and Health Woes Mount
Congress exhibited brief indications of activity during the nation’s longest government standoff, yet the prospect for a post-election agreement diminished swiftly, as exasperated senators seemingly remained far from a resolution. Democrats, coming off a series of significant victories across the nation on Tuesday, moderated their requests, proposing a plan to prolong the Affordable Care Act tax credits for one year in return for re-opening the government. In less than thirty minutes, Republicans declared it dead on arrival and lacking seriousness. Despite the circumstances, senators remained in Washington over the weekend for the first time during the 39-day shutdown, following President Donald Trump’s admonition to “not leave town” until the spending deadlock is settled. Republican leader John Thune informed on Saturday that the Senate plans to vote this weekend to move forward with a new stopgap measure designed to fund the departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Food and Drug Administration and Congress itself, until Sept. 30, 2026. Lawmakers have indicated that other agencies would likely receive funding through Jan. 31. A rare Saturday session unfolded as senators engaged in a debate over the merits of Obamacare, with no votes taking place.
The timing of the Senate vote on Sunday hinges on the completion of the text and the level of support it garners from Democrats. Thune remarked that there have been some encouraging bipartisan discussions in the past day. Thune stated he would not consider any Obamacare provisions in the new bill, asserting that discussions can only take place after the 39-day shutdown concludes. “We are not going to extend this for a year,” Senator Lindsey Graham stated. “We are going to replace this broken system.” During Trump’s first term, Republicans struggled to come together on a significant effort to repeal Obamacare and have yet to reach a consensus on a comprehensive replacement since that time. During Trump’s first term, Republicans made numerous attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare, all of which were unsuccessful. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described Republicans’ current stance as “a terrible mistake. We are willing to negotiate once the subsides are extended,” he stated. Nonetheless, the choice to labor over the weekend represents a notable shift from the previously hands-off strategy that lawmakers had adopted regarding negotiations to re-open the government.
Trump, however, did not suggest he would take a direct role in the discussions, departing on Friday to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and communicating directives to Republicans. Democrats assert that Trump himself must engage in the negotiations, emphasizing that Republicans need to include their members in the development of a spending bill to re-open the government, as it requires Democratic votes to succeed. “Families across this country told us on Tuesday that affordability is a huge issue for them, and want us to continue to press the Republicans,” Senator Elizabeth Warren stated to reporters on Friday. “They’ve just drawn a line in the sand and said little kids can go hungry, airplanes can slow down and people can just suck it up and pay double and triple their health care premiums.” Republicans assert that they will engage in negotiations regarding an extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies only after Democrats cast their votes to re-open the government. “All they have to do is take yes for an answer.” Thune said Friday “We’ve offered them a solution. The president’s willing to meet with them. I’m willing to give them the vote.” The consequences of a shutdown intensify the longer it continues. Federal workers remain unpaid, and the contingency funds — which serve as a temporary measure to support certain benefits and compensate military personnel — are in danger of being depleted. Backlogs for tax refunds, small business loans, and other federal applications continue to accumulate. Lawmakers have identified critical issues — from airline chaos to delayed food aid — that may act as pivotal moments to bring an end to the shutdown. Thus far, none of these developments have provided any clarity regarding how or when the shutdown might conclude, creating further uncertainty about what additional factors must arise to increase pressure on lawmakers to take action.
Approximately 24 million Americans are purchasing Obamacare health coverage at prices significantly higher than what they paid last year, while an even greater number have not yet received their November food benefits, which are currently entangled in a legal dispute. Democrats’ victories on Tuesday only strengthened the party’s determination to remain engaged in the shutdown battle, while federally mandated flight cancellations that took effect on Friday left travelers stranded in several of the nation’s largest airport hubs. The impacts, initially confined to federal employees during the early weeks of the shutdown, are beginning to affect a wider range of Americans. Millions of low-income Americans are facing strained budgets as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program experiences delays, and the repercussions of the shutdown are imposing a financial burden of approximately $15 billion per week on the US economy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the shutdown will reduce the quarterly growth rate of real GDP by 1.5 percent by mid-November, as consumer sentiment hits a three-year low. However, surveys show that Democrats currently hold the advantage, with polls indicating broad support for ACA subsidy extensions, though voters remain divided over who deserves blame for the shutdown.
