The second week of the US government shutdown commenced yesterday with no resolution in sight between President Donald Trump’s Republicans and Democrats. Democrats are withholding the crucial votes needed by Republicans to reopen federal departments unless an agreement is reached on extending expiring health care subsidies. Senate Democrats are poised to reject a temporary funding bill passed by the House for the fifth time, leading to the government running out of funds and coming to a standstill.
This firm stance by Democrats presents a rare opportunity for the opposition party to exert leverage in a period where Trump and his staunch Republican supporters oversee all branches of government. The funding lapse has resulted in the suspension of non-essential services, impending salary delays for hundreds of thousands of public sector employees from Friday, and potential missed paychecks for military personnel on October 15.
President Trump has escalated the situation by threatening significant layoffs rather than temporary furloughs as seen in past shutdowns. Republicans are standing firm, with House Speaker Mike Johnson instructing members not to attend Congress unless Democrats concede. Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accuses Republicans of obstructing negotiations and calls for their return to Washington for duty.
Blame games persist, with Johnson pointing fingers at Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer for the impasse. The shutdown has hit agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Education, Housing, Commerce, and Labor departments the hardest, while others like Justice, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Treasury, and Office of Personnel Management have seen minimal impact.
As members of Congress remain in their districts and no formal discussions occur, a recent CBS News poll reveals the public narrowly holding Republicans accountable for the deadlock. Democrats warn that failure to act could result in 24 million Americans facing doubled insurance premiums under Obamacare next year, with four million losing health care coverage entirely. Republicans argue that the healthcare subsidy issue is separate from government funding and can be addressed independently before year-end.
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett mentioned potential layoffs if negotiations reach a standstill. President Trump’s administration had already eliminated 200,000 federal jobs through the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk before the shutdown, according to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service.