WASHINGTON.— El Longest government shutdown in US history could end as early as Wednesdayon its 43rd day, with no one satisfied with the final result.
Los Democrats failed to get health insurance guarantees that they demanded to be added to the spending agreement. AND the republicanswho control the levers of power in Washington, they did not escape blameaccording to surveys and some state and local elections that were not favorable to them.
Las consequences of the closure affected millions of Americansincluding federal workers who did not receive their paychecks and airline passengers who saw their trips delayed or canceled. An interruption in the programs food aid contributed to long lines at food banks and added emotional distress ahead of the holiday season.
The agreement includes projects of bipartisan law prepared by the Senate Appropriations Committee to finance parts of the government, such as food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branchamong other things. All remaining funding would be extended through the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finalize additional spending bills.
What led to the US government shutdown?
Democrats made several demands to support a bill short-term financing law, But the main one was an extension of an enhanced tax credit that reduces the cost of health insurance purchased through the health markets. Affordable Care Act.
The tax credit was increased during the response to the COVID-19 pandemicagain through the great project of president’s energy and health law Joe Bidenand is scheduled to expire at the end of December. Without it, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Americans. More than two million people would lose health insurance coverage completely next yearaccording to estimates of the Congressional Budget Office.
“Never have American families faced a situation where their health care costs are about to double — doubling in the blink of an eye,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
While Democrats called for negotiations on the issue, Republicans said a funding bill would need to be passed first.
“Republicans are ready to sit down with Democrats as soon as they stop holding the government hostage to their partisan demands,” said the Senate majority leader, John ThuneRepublican of South Dakota.
Thune ultimately promised Democrats a vote in December on extending the tax credit to help resolve the impasse, but many Democrats demanded a guaranteed solution, not just a vote that would likely fail.
Thune’s position was very similar to the one Schumer took in October 2013, when Republicans tried unsuccessfully to reverse parts of the Affordable Care Act in exchange for financing the government. “Open up the entire government, and then we can have a fruitful discussion,” Schumer said then.
Democratic leaders under pressure
The first year of President Donald Trump’s second term has seen more than 200,000 federal workers leave their jobs through layoffs, forced relocations or the Republican government’s deferred resignation programaccording to the Association for Public Service. Entire agencies that do not fit with White House priorities have been dismantled. And billions of dollars previously approved by Congress have been frozen or canceled.
Democrats have had to rely on the courts to block some of Trump’s efforts, but they have not been able to do so through legislation. They also found themselves powerless to stop Trump’s big tax cut and the immigration crackdown bill that Republicans helped pay for by cutting future spending on safety net programs like Medicaid y SNAPformerly known as food stamps.
Democrats’ problems in curbing the Trump administration’s priorities have sparked calls for a stronger response from the party’s congressional leadership.
Schumer experienced that firsthand after announcing in March that he would support moving forward with a fiscal year 2025 funding bill. There was an outcry at his office, calls from progressives for him to be challenged in the 2028 primary and suggestions that the Democratic Party He would soon be looking for new leaders.
This time, Schumer demanded that Republicans negotiate with Democrats to get their votes on a spending bill. The Senate ruleshe pointed out, require bipartisan support to reach the 60 vote threshold needed to advance a spending bill.
But those negotiations didn’t happen, at least not with Schumer. Republicans instead worked with a small group of eight Democrats to prepare a short-term bill to fund the government generally at current levels and accused Schumer of catering to the party’s left wing when he refused to move forward.
“Senate Democrats are afraid that radicals in their party will say they gave up,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said at one of his many daily news conferences.The Blame Game
The political stakes in the shutdown are enormous, so leaders of both parties have held almost daily press conferences to shape public opinion.
Approximately six in 10 Americans They say Trump and Republicans in Congress bear “a great deal of responsibility” or “a fair amount of responsibility” for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.
At least three-quarters of Americans believe everyone deserves at least a “moderate share” of the blame, underscoring that no one successfully evaded responsibility.
Both parties looked to the Nov. 4 elections in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere for signs of how the shutdown influenced public opinion. Democrats took solace in their overwhelming successes. Trump called it a “big, negative factor” for Republicans. But the position of the Republican Party about the negotiation. Instead, Trump stepped up his push for Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster, which would virtually eliminate the need for the majority party to ever negotiate with the minority. Damage from the shutdown
The Congressional Budget Office says the negative impact on the economy will mostly recover once the lockdown ends, but not completely. He estimated the permanent economic loss at around 11 billion dollars for a closure of six weeks.
Beyond the numbers, the shutdown created a cascade of problems for many Americans. Federal workers did not receive their paychecks, causing financial and emotional stress. Travelers had their flights delayed and sometimes canceled. People who depend on social programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program saw their aid frozen, and Americans across the country They lined up to receive meals at food banks.
“This dysfunction is harmful enough to our constituents and the economy here at home, but it also sends a dangerous message to the world watching,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.
“It shows our allies that we are an untrustworthy partner, and it signals to our adversaries that we cannot work together to meet even the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress.”