On Tuesday, President Trump suggested that his administration might need to cut certain programs if government shutdowns occur. He cautioned that Democrats could be taking a gamble by not voting for a GOP proposal to finance the government until November 21st.
“We don’t want it to close,” Trump mentioned to reporters in the Oval Office. “There are things we can do that would be irreversible and harmful to them during a shutdown. It’s like cutting a large number of people or making cuts we prefer during that time.”
He noted that White House budget director Russell has recently gained popularity for effectively trimming budgets in ways not previously possible. “By shutting down, they take a risk. We can even make significant medical changes during a shutdown, which we’d rather avoid, but we need to tackle fraud and waste,” Trump stated.
He didn’t go into detail about which programs or benefits might be cut. Earlier in the day, he indicated that there could be “many layoffs” in the federal workforce due to the Budget Office preparing for potential shutdown scenarios.
During the Oval Office briefing, he remarked that it was “likely” the government would be closed if funding runs out, but he added that “nothing is certain.”
Trump claimed that Democrats aimed to provide illegal medical care for immigrants in the U.S. He has attempted to frame this argument as central to the shutdown debate, although Democrats primarily focus on extending benefits related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is due to expire soon.
Despite Trump’s assertions, ACA benefits are indeed set to end.
Democrats are advocating for permanent extensions of expired ACA grants, cuts to Medicaid via tax measures, and reinstating retirement benefits that were previously reduced.
When confronted about the fact that ACA subsidies at the center of the dispute won’t apply to immigration status, Trump responded, “As a country, we just can’t afford to care for millions of people.”
Later that day, Democrats put forth a proposal to fund the government through October 31, which includes permanently expanding enhanced ACA health premium subsidies and restoring nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.
This measure, which did not progress in September, requires 60 votes and is also expected to fail.
Senate Majority Leader John Tune (Rs.D.) plans to move forward with the House-passed resolution to fund the government until November 21st, a bill that also failed in September and is likely to be obstructed by a Democratic filibuster.
