Government Shutdown Discussion on CNBC

On Wednesday, CNBC’s Joe Kernen confronted Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) regarding his repeated votes supporting the ongoing government shutdown. Kernen accused Democrats of leveraging “extortion,” suggesting they were demanding extra political concessions to reopen the government.

Welch acknowledged the severity of the shutdown but justified his voting position, stating it was necessary to address the expiration of Obamacare subsidies without Congressional action. Kernen replied, somewhat incredulously, “You’re always rational,” and pointed out that Welch was basically admitting that a government shutdown was not the right approach.

Furthering the conversation, Kernen questioned whether Welch was ready to take a stand as a “rational Democrat” and call for an end to the shutdown. Welch responded, “I’m not there yet because we literally haven’t had any discussions about how to deal with it.”

Kernen pushed back, asking if Welch believed it was right for people, like TSA workers, not to be paid. He pointedly referred to the situation as extortion, asking Welch if his conscience allowed him to accept this course of action.

Welch did mention that he co-sponsored a bill with Republican Senator Josh Hawley aimed at extending funding for food stamps (SNAP) to assist Americans affected by the shutdown. Still, he emphasized that there was a larger “attack” on the health sector instigated by the Trump administration that needed urgent reconsideration.

The shutdown has reached its 29th day, marking it as the second longest in U.S. history. The Trump administration has indicated that SNAP funding could deplete by November 1 if there isn’t a Senate resolution to continue funding the government.