The federal government shutdown, which stretched into its thirty fifth day Tuesday, has tied the report for the longest in U.S. historical past.
The present shutdown started Oct. 1, after Congress did not strike a deal to fund the federal government. Because it began, hundreds of federal employees have been furloughed whereas others are working with out pay, flights have been delayed nationwide and plenty of People have been left with out meals help.
The final shutdown that lasted this lengthy occurred throughout President Trump’s first time period, from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019, and stemmed from a dispute over funding for a border wall.
This time, the central challenge within the shutdown battle has been healthcare. Democrats have urged Republicans to increase the Inexpensive Care Act subsidies, that are set to run out on the finish of the 12 months, and haven’t supported a Republican “clean” stopgap measure to reopen the federal government.
The Senate failed to advance the measure for the 14th time Tuesday, making it doubtless that the shutdown will surpass the report because it continues previous Tuesday evening.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) mentioned at a Tuesday press convention that he didn’t assume anybody anticipated the shutdown would “drag on this long,” blaming Democrats for not supporting the Republican stopgap measure. The measure would fund the federal government at present ranges till Nov. 21.
“With federal workers entering their fifth week without a full paycheck, Democrats ought to be taking a hard look in the mirror,” Johnson mentioned. “Will they continue to bend the need to the radicals who run their party, or will Democrats finally do something to serve the working Americans they abandoned long ago?”
Democrats, in flip, argued that Republicans are accountable within the shutdown battle.
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the previous Home majority chief, instructed The Hill he’s at all times believed “shutdowns are a stupid, costly, and arrogant policy.”
“Donald Trump, however, revels in them. That was true when he set the record for the longest shutdown back in 2019, and it’s true now as he breaks that record once again,” he mentioned.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) mentioned at a Tuesday press briefing that Democrats need “to find a bipartisan path forward toward enacting a spending agreement that actually makes life better for the American people, that lowers cost for the American people, as opposed to the Trump economy where things are getting more expensive by the day.”
Lawmakers are discussing a brand new stopgap measure that will fund the federal government previous November. Each Johnson and Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) are eyeing a measure lasting into January. Thune mentioned he was “optimistic” there might be a deal to reopen the federal government by the top of the week.
