Government Shutdown Enters Sixth Day - What is Next?
The government shutdown is now in its sixth day as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill to resume negotiations. Here is the latest on this situation that has left thousands of federal government employees without a paycheck.
Latest Updates on Government Shutdown
Congress is back in session on Monday, facing the monumental task of working out a deal to fund the federal government. Funding for the government ended at midnight last Wednesday after Congress failed to reach an agreement on the spending bill. Democrats have held out on voting for the legislation, demanding that the GOP agree to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
President Donald Trump is threatening retaliatory layoffs if the Democrats do not come to the table to negotiate. The new layoffs would be in addition to the thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed as a result of the shutdown. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during the Monday press conference that the president is still considering mass firings.
Leavitt told reporters that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently working with agencies on who will have to be let go if the shutdown does not end. She did not confirm when exactly the firings will happen, choosing to leave it in the hands of the Senate when they vote on Monday evening. While the GOP said that the layoffs are necessary, Democrats allege that the Trump administration is using the shutdown to push through its agenda of downsizing the government.
House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to reporters on Monday morning, signaling that he is relying on Senate Democrats to back down and vote for the bill that has already been passed by the House. The House is not in session this week, leaving it up to the Senate to work out an agreement. Johnson said that he wants to reconvene the House but that he needs the Senate to pass the funding bill first.
Members of the House have been told that they do not have to report to work this week. Johnson told them that they will be notified within 48 hours if they need to return to Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is holding firm that now is the time to address the issue of the ACA subsidies. GOP leaders have asserted that they will discuss the subsidies after a funding agreement is reached. Jeffries noted that subsidies need to be extended before the open enrollment period start date of November 1. Independent reserach details that health care premiums, deductibles, and copays will increase substantially for the millions of Americans who lean on the ACA for insurance should the subsidies not be extended. Jeffries said that some ACA users are already being informed how much their costs will jump in the weeks ahead.
Impacts of the Shutdown
The far-reaching impacts of the shutdown are already being felt all over the country. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on Monday that a growing number of air traffic controllers have called out sick during the government shutdown. Duffy spoke to the media at a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport, detailing that some airports have seen a 50% reduction in staffing levels.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will need to delay flights across the board to respond to the decreases in staffing. This would inevitably lead to widespread disruptions across the nation's air network.
Duffy also noted that the program that provides subsidies for flights to smaller American cities will run out of funding by Sunday should the shutdown not be resolved. The Essential Air Service program ensures that rural communities are served by air carriers. Without the funding from the government, these areas will not be serviced.
Americans who rely on the federal subsidy programs, such as WIC, are also growing increasingly concerned that their benefits will run out. According to the National WIC Association, funding could run out within a week or two should Congress not resolve the impasse. Almost seven million pregnant women, moms, and young children receive milk and food through WIC.
The program was allocated $7.6 billion for fiscal year 2025, which ended on September 30. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said that these nutrition programs will continue to operate at the state level, leaving it up to each specific state to fund the assistance.
We will continue to update this fluid situation as the Senate looks to put the spending bill to another vote by the end of the day Monday.
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