US government shutdown continues: Senate rejects temporary funding bill for sixth time

Author: Li Dan, Wall Street Journal

The US federal government shutdown has lasted for over a week, and it now appears unlikely that the bipartisan deadlock will be broken and government operations will resume anytime soon.

On Wednesday, October 8th, Eastern Time, the government shutdown entered its eighth day. In the sixth recent vote, the US Senate again rejected a bill to provide temporary funding for the government. The result highlights the ongoing partisan divide: Republican lawmakers collectively opposed the Democratic bill, while most Democrats resisted the Republican bill that had already passed the House of Representatives.

Partisan positions are becoming increasingly hardened, with the core disagreement being whether to continue the health insurance subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted during the Obama administration. Senate Republican Leader John Thune accused the Democrats of being beholden to left-wing interest groups, while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson a "real obstacle." The government shutdown has begun to have a substantial impact on federal agency operations. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Wednesday that it would furlough nearly half its workforce. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is currently operating normally but is under pressure. A staff shortage at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) forced a partial closure of air traffic control at Nashville Airport. A bipartisan bill failed in the Senate for the sixth time, with a sharply divided vote. The Senate voted again on Wednesday on a bipartisan government funding package, with the results mirroring those of the previous five. The Republican bill would fund the government until November 21 and increase security funding for lawmakers and government officials by $88 million, but it did not include the health care provision demanded by Democrats. The bill received 54 votes in favor and 45 against, still six votes short of the 60-vote threshold required to advance. Only one Republican, Rand Paul, voted against the bill on Wednesday. With Paul's opposition, the bill would have required eight Democrats to pass. In this vote, only three Democrats defected. The Democratic bill would extend government funding until October 31st, extend Obama-era Medicare subsidies that expire at the end of this year, and reverse Medicaid cuts implemented by the Trump administration. The bill fared worse than the Republican proposal in Wednesday's vote, receiving only 47 votes in favor to 52 against. As in the previous five votes, the bill failed to secure support from any Republican senator. Senate Republican Leader Thune plans to hold a seventh vote as early as Thursday, but expects the outcome to remain unchanged. Asked if he expected a different outcome, South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds replied, "You'd have to ask our Democratic colleagues." Democrats accused Republicans of controlling the government but allowing it to shut down, while Republicans insisted on opening it first and then negotiating. Lawmakers from both parties are clashing over who should be held accountable for the shutdown and how to resolve it, with positions becoming increasingly hardened. Senate Democratic Leader Schumer singled out House Speaker Johnson, calling him the "real obstacle" to resolving the crisis. "Johnson—if Johnson has to say, 'We need to fix health care,' you know, he's under some pressure," Schumer said. He also dodged questions about Democrats' self-imposed expiration date for health care subsidies in 2020. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, criticized Republicans for shutting down the government and then demanded concessions from Democrats. She said: "The government was open, and then the Republicans shut it down because they didn't want to extend health care subsidies."

Democratic senators blamed the shutdown on Republican control of the three major branches of government. Arizona Senator Mark Kelly emphasized that "this shutdown is because of Republicans in the House, Senate and White House, who control all three branches of government - this is about people's health care costs."

The Republicans insisted that the government must be reopened before negotiations.

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said: "We will not give in on our insistence that the government must be reopened, and then we will have an adult discussion." South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds reiterated the party's position: "We will not negotiate with the government being hijacked. There is no reason to do so, and this behavior cannot be encouraged."

The House of Representatives' continued recess has sparked criticism within the party, and the Speaker insisted on waiting for Senate action

The House of Representatives has been in recess since it passed the Republican government funding bill last month, and the two parties have different reactions to this.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Republican lawmakers for "taking vacation" during the government shutdown. "House Democrats were here last week, they were here this week, and they'll be here next week," Jeffries said at a Capitol Hill press conference. "It's so unusual that House Republicans are on vacation right now."

Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern mocked Republican attempts to impose stricter work requirements on programs like food stamps. "Let's put a work requirement on Republicans to show up in Congress and do the damn job," he said.

Dissenting voices emerged within the Republican Party. California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley questioned Speaker Johnson's strategy of adjourning the House for a third consecutive week. "The Speaker shouldn't even be considering canceling the session for a third week in a row," Kiley wrote on social media.

Johnson insisted the House had completed its work and would not recall members until the Senate passed the Republican short-term funding bill that the House had already passed. "We've done our job," Johnson said on Tuesday. Federal Agency Operations Hit: Mass IRS Furloughs, Transportation Sector Under Pressure As the government shutdown enters its second week, the impact on federal agency operations is beginning to become apparent. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on Wednesday a massive furlough program, forcing approximately 34,000 employees to take leave, nearly half of the agency's 74,299 employees. This marks a significant shift from the IRS's arrangements during the first week of the shutdown, when it used remaining funding from the Biden administration to keep all employees employed with pay. The IRS's remaining 39,870 employees will continue preparing for next year's tax season, modernizing the agency, and implementing Trump's new tax law. During the shutdown, the IRS will limit taxpayer services, including telephone consultations. The independent Taxpayer Advocate Service also announced its closure due to depleted funding. Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), a union representing over 100,000 employees across 38 U.S. government departments and offices, said in a statement, "Taxpayers across the country will now have a harder time getting the help they need as they prepare to file extended tax returns due next week." The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which operates security stations at U.S. airports, claimed on Wednesday that operations were normal. The agency stated, "TSA has not experienced any operational delays due to sick leave and is fully capable of providing safe and reliable travel for passengers." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing even greater pressure. According to a notice sent to pilots by the FAA, approach control at Nashville International Airport in Tennessee has ceased operations due to staffing shortages. As a result, the airport has shut down some air traffic control operations and transferred airspace control to facilities in Memphis. The audio recordings released Wednesday revealed the frustration of air traffic controllers: "We are always short-staffed, but this is very rare. We have four controllers in the building and can only perform visual flight rules tower operations at a level 10 airport in the National Airspace System. This is absolutely crazy."