Congress is heading toward a government shutdown at the end of the month, with both parties pointing fingers at each other and showing no signs of compromise.
This week, members from both chambers are back in their districts after the House advanced a GOP funding proposal that the Senate promptly rejected. Senators are on break until September 29 and likely won’t return until October.
This stalemate has created a situation where the government seems headed for a shutdown with no clear route to meet the October 1 deadline. Leaders from both sides are adamant about placing blame on one another, which is reminiscent of a high-stakes game of chicken.
“I don’t want a shutdown. The President doesn’t want one. Senate Republicans don’t want one,” stated Rep. Tom Cole from Oklahoma, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee.
He added, “If there’s a shutdown, it’s because the Democrats pushed for it.”
Democrats, on the other hand, counter that the onus lies entirely with Republican leaders, as they hold power in all branches of government.
“We’ve been questioning all year how Republicans can claim to have a mandate when they control the presidency, the House, and the Senate,” a Democratic leader remarked. “This is a Republican shutdown.”
This mutual blame game is undermining any meaningful effort for a bipartisan agreement before the deadline. Cole defended the Republican position, saying their continuing resolutions (CRs) were mostly “clean.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer previously supported similar funding levels, and now Republicans are calling him out for what they view as hypocrisy during the current standoff.
“There is nothing partisan in this bill; they know that,” Cole asserted. “If they accept the CR we sent, we’ll have time to sort this out. Otherwise, we may face a shutdown. The ball is in the Senate’s court.”
The House has voiced its stance.
Democrats are raising alarms over the potential impact of continuing budget policies from a previous administration, which they say could harm vital health programs, including medical research and food assistance. They are also advocating for urgent action to extend Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.
“The Republicans are responsible for this budgetary mess,” said Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark from Massachusetts. “If they choose to pass budgets that harm healthcare and increase costs, that’s on them.”
On Friday, the House GOP leader canceled scheduled votes for September 29 and 30, suggesting that members wouldn’t reconvene in time to prevent a shutdown. This decision was likely intended to push a bill through the House while thwarting Senate Democrats. However, only one Senate Democrat showed up for a vote, and Schumer has remained steadfast in his stance.
Democratic opposition seems to have intensified, especially since recent actions by the Speaker.
“By allowing members to leave before tackling the funding deadline, he’s essentially closing the doors on them ahead of a possible government shutdown,” criticized Rep. Rosa Delauro from Connecticut, a senior Democrat. “This behavior is unacceptable and needs to change.”
Some Republicans also expressed concern about the optics of Congress being out of session while facing a shutdown.
“I think we’ll return,” Cole noted. “Our leadership has to decide, but I don’t think it looks good for Congress to be absent during a shutdown.”
From the White House, Trump urged GOP leaders to bypass negotiations with Democrats and force them to accept the House bill.
“Don’t even deal with them,” the President told reporters last week.
This advice has seemingly only strengthened Democrats’ resolve to oppose the bill, even as the deadline looms with no signs of resolution.
“Trump doesn’t want to engage, but we need bipartisanship to move forward,” Schumer remarked. “If they want to shut down the government, avoiding talks won’t help.”
Interestingly, Schumer previously allied with Republicans to pass a similar funding measure, and parallels seem to be emerging now as the deadline draws near.
“I suspect Senate Democrats will vote for it,” said House GOP Whip Tom Emmer from Minnesota. “They’re not aiming for a government shutdown.”
