Senate Republicans Seek New Strategy to Avoid Government Shutdowns
Senate Republicans are taking an intriguing approach to avert future government shutdowns—one that surprisingly has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
This Wednesday, the Senate plans to vote on a proposal from Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) aimed at halting lawmakers’ pay during any government shutdown. The intention behind this move is to give Republicans some leverage against the Democrats when it comes to spending decisions, especially as fears of another shutdown loom.
Schumer, who previously led Democrats through two shutdowns last year, has expressed support for this resolution. “I’m going to vote for it,” he said. “And I think it has a lot of support.”
The proposed resolution would instruct the Secretary of the Senate to withhold paychecks from Congress members until the shutdown is resolved. Typically, rank-and-file senators earn about $174,000 annually, while party leaders can pull in over $193,000.
It’s important to note that this resolution would only apply to the Senate, and it’s expected to kick in after the November midterm elections. However, some Republicans worry that Schumer and the Democrats might push for another shutdown ahead of the elections.
With Schumer and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) in favor, the resolution seems likely to pass. This could discourage lawmakers from triggering another shutdown, particularly as Congress grapples with the fallout from previous ones.
The recent partial shutdown was unprecedented in its length, lasting 76 days, and was ignited by Democratic demands for substantial reforms in immigration. Last year, Democrats also initiated a 43-day funding block in attempts to extend expired Obamacare tax credits.
Right now, Republicans are working quickly on a budget reconciliation process to address needs that emerged from the last shutdown, particularly to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years.
Thune indicated that the focus on this resolution arose because Democrats had previously been reluctant to support funding for these agencies. Still, he expressed optimism that Kennedy’s proposal could serve as a game-changer in avoiding future shutdowns.
“If this passes and applies to senators, it could provide an additional incentive to prevent Senate Democrats from shutting down the government again,” Thune remarked.
