By LISA MASCARO, AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday the federal authorities shutdown could turn out to be the longest in historical past, saying he “gained’t negotiate” with Democrats till they hit pause on their well being care calls for and reopen.
Standing alone on the Capitol on the thirteenth day of the shutdown, the speaker mentioned he was unaware of the main points of the 1000’s of federal employees being fired by the Trump administration. It’s a extremely uncommon mass layoff broadly seen as solution to seize on the shutdown to cut back the scope of presidency. Vice President JD Vance has warned of “painful” cuts forward, at the same time as worker unions sue.
“We’re barreling towards one of many longest shutdowns in American historical past,” Johnson of Louisiana mentioned.
With no endgame in sight, the shutdown is predicted to roll on for the unforeseeable future. The closure has halted routine authorities operations, shuttered Smithsonian museums and different landmark cultural establishments and left airports scrambling with flight disruptions, all injecting extra uncertainty into an already precarious financial system.
The Home is out of legislative session, with Johnson refusing to recall lawmakers again to Washington, whereas the Senate, closed Monday for the federal vacation, will return to work Tuesday. However senators are caught in a cul-de-sac of failed votes as Democrats refuse to relent on their well being care calls for.
Johnson thanked President Donald Trump for guaranteeing army personnel are paid this week, which eliminated one most important strain level that will have pushed the events to the negotiating desk.
At its core, the shutdown is a debate over well being care coverage — and significantly the Reasonably priced Care Act subsidies which can be expiring for hundreds of thousands of Individuals who depend on authorities assist to buy their very own medical insurance insurance policies on the Obamacare exchanges. Democrats demand the subsidies be prolonged, Republicans argue the difficulty will be handled later.
With Congress and the White Home stalemated, some are eyeing the tip of the month as the subsequent potential deadline to reopen authorities.
That’s when open enrollment begins, Nov. 1, for the well being program at situation, and Individuals will face the prospect of skyrocketing insurance coverage premiums. The Kaiser Household Basis has estimated that month-to-month prices would double if Congress fails to resume the subsidy funds that expire Dec. 31.
It’s additionally when authorities employees on month-to-month pay schedules, together with 1000’s of Home aides, will go with out paychecks.
The well being care debate has dogged Congress ever for the reason that Reasonably priced Care Act turned legislation below then-President Barak Obama in 2010.
The nation went by a 16-day authorities shutdown in the course of the Obama presidency when Republicans tried to repeal the Reasonably priced Care Act 2013.
Trump tried to “repeal and exchange” the legislation, generally often known as Obamacare, throughout his first time period, in 2017, with a Republican majority within the Home and Senate. That effort failed when then-Sen. John McCain memorably voted a thumbs down on the plan.
With 24 million now enrolled in Obamacare, a document, Johnson mentioned Monday that Republicans are unlikely to go that route once more, noting he nonetheless has “PTSD” from that botched second.
“Can we utterly repeal and exchange Obamacare? Many people are skeptical about that now as a result of the roots are so deep,” Johnson mentioned.
The Republican speaker insists his social gathering has been prepared to debate the well being care situation with Democrats this fall, earlier than the subsidies expire on the finish of the yr. However first, he mentioned, Democrats must comply with reopen the federal government.
The longest shutdown, throughout Trump’s first time period over his calls for for funds to construct the U.S.-Mexico border wall, led to 2019 after 35 days.
In the meantime, the Trump administration is exercising huge leeway each to fireside employees — drawing complaints from fellow Republicans and lawsuits from worker unions — and to find out who’s paid.
Which means not solely army troops however different Trump administration priorities don’t essentially must go with out pay, due to the varied different funding sources in addition to the billions made out there in what’s generally referred to as Trump’s One Massive Lovely Invoice Act that’s now legislation.
The Pentagon mentioned over the weekend it was in a position to faucet $8 billion in unused analysis and growth funds to pay the army personnel. That they had risked missed paychecks on Wednesday. However the Training Division is amongst these being exhausting hit, disrupting particular training, after-school packages and others.
“The Administration additionally might resolve to make use of obligatory funding offered within the 2025 reconciliation act or different sources of obligatory funding to proceed actions financed by these direct appropriations at varied companies,” in accordance with the nonpartisan Congressional Price range Workplace.
The CBO had cited the Division of Protection, the Division of the Treasury, the Division of Homeland Safety, and the Workplace of Administration and Price range as amongst people who acquired particular funds below the legislation.
“A few of the funds in DoD’s direct appropriation below the 2025 reconciliation act might be used to pay active-duty personnel throughout a shutdown, thus decreasing the variety of excepted employees who would obtain delayed compensation,” CBO wrote in a letter responding to questions raised by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
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