What Will It Take to End The Government Shutdown?

Congressional lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement on a spending bill that would – at least temporarily – end the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1.

The Details: The next payday for civilian federal employees is reportedly Oct. 10, and the next for military employees is Oct. 15. Fox News (Right bias) referred to the dates as “central to ending the shutdown” due to the pressures and pushback that would likely commence if payments were withheld. Republicans currently hold a 53-45-2 majority in the Senate, but an agreement needs 60 votes to pass. 

Possible Outcomes: Outlets across the political spectrum identified healthcare as the biggest sticking point for both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Newsweek (Center) noted, “[the] impasse exists because Democrats want a deal to secure healthcare provisions, while Republicans have raised concerns about costs and the extent to which migrants should have access to healthcare.” It is likely that Congressional Republicans would either have to allow Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits to expand or simply wait for Democrats to retract their proposals. CNN (Lean Left) said the shutdown could make Democrats look worse, partially due to Senate Democrats’ rejection of a continuing resolution hours after the shutdown began. On the other hand, the outlet noted, “Many who benefit from the [ACA] subsidies come from red states,” and highlighted a Republican submission on healthcare spending as a practical outcome as well. 

For Context: The government shut down after lawmakers voted down two stopgap proposals. The Republicans’ proposal, if approved, would have primarily delayed the shutdown deadline until November 21. The Democrats’ proposal would have permanently expanded the ACA and reversed Medicaid cuts.

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