Today marks the 16th day of the United States government shutdown, with little hope among experts that any resolution will be reached in the coming days. While most citizens have felt little impact, that could change in the near future.
The Senate Has Failed to Reopen the Federal Government Eight Times
On Friday, the Republican-led Senate failed to pass a resolution put forth by the Republican-led House of Representatives to re-open the government. On Tuesday evening, the Senate reconvened to vote once again on a House-passed measure, though the measure once again failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to pass. Another vote is set for next Tuesday.
So far, the Senate has voted and failed to pass a measure to re-open the government eight times. Most Democrats have refused to lend their votes to continue funding the government without a compromise on behalf of Republicans that agrees to reverse major cuts to insurance tax credits. As Karen Dolan, director of the Criminalization of Race and Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, writes in the Times of San Diego that the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Republicans creates cuts to many earned benefits, like Medicaid and health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
As a result, many Americans could see significant increases to their healthcare costs. With little power within the government, Democrats have opted to withhold their votes unless Republicans agree to restore the subsidies that make health care affordable for millions of Americans. Republicans, on the other hand, have said that they plan to address the issue at a later date after the government re-opens.
Key Issues at Stake
The so-called “Obamacare” subsidies help Americans purchase health care at an affordable rate, but these subsidies are slated to expire. Open enrollment for the health programs begins November 1st. At this point, rates will likely skyrocket for many, including some who don’t rely on the exchanges for their health coverage.
The Kaiser Family Foundation has provided a calculator that helps people determine how much their costs could go up if the premiums expire. The foundation has estimated that costs for most people will increase by 75 percent. Health care subsidies are widely supported by Americans, including by 57 percent of self-identified Trump supporters. They’re supported by 92 percent of Democrats, according to polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Despite the high stakes, few people have felt any impact. Since the shutdown began, over 4,000 workers from the Department of Treasury, Health and Human Services, the Education Department and others have been fired. Hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control were laid off, but about 700 were reinstated after receiving termination notices in error.
The Smithsonian museums, research centers, and National Zoo shuttered on Sunday after their funding expired. National Park employees have been forced to take unpaid leave, which has resulted in dangerous conditions for visitors and potential damage to the protected spaces.
National Guard and military employees will continue to receive pay as unused research and development funds are re-appropriated to keep the money flowing.
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What are the Greatest Impacts Being Felt Across the Nation?
One of the biggest impacts felt by average Americans so far during the shutdown are those traveling through airports. Around 13,000 air traffic controllers 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees have been ordered to work without pay during the shutdown. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in flight delays as employees call out.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem has recorded a video blaming Democrats for the delays. “Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” the video claims.
Some major airports have pushed back against partisan messaging. This could violate state and federal laws against using public resources to push a political agenda. The Salt Lake City International Airport in Republican Utah, for example, has refused to play a video showing Secretary Noem blaming Democrats for the current shutdown, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
For the 74 million Americans who rely on Social Security, their monthly checks will continue to arrive on their regular schedule, as these payments are covered by mandatory spending rules. However, those retirees, disabled individuals, and surviving dependents of deceased workers looking for customer support regarding their benefits will likely need to wait until the shutdown is over to have their concerns addressed.
For those looking to obtain a government-backed home loan or to obtain flood insurance, their plans will have to remain on hold until the government re-opens.
“This Shutdown Could be the Longest in History”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana declared that the current shutdown could end up being the longest in history. He and other Republicans have no plans to negotiate with Democrats. The government was shut down in 2013 for 16 days when Republicans attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“This marks the third week that Democrats have blocked paychecks to our troops, they’ve blocked pay for 2.2 million federal workers and they’ve held critical services that the American people rely upon in limbo,” Johnson said.
Johnson has opted not to call Representatives back into session to negotiate or vote on any proposals. The Senate, meanwhile, is currently in session but was out on Monday for the controversial federal holiday, Columbus Day.
“Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown, the worse it gets for Americans, and the clearer it becomes who’s fighting for them,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.
While there is no firm date for an end to the shutdown, the November 1st insurance enrollment date, coupled with the fact that many government employees will stop receiving pay at the end of October, puts a deadline on negotiations.
Featured image by Louis Velazquez, via Unsplash Creative Commons