The prospect of a federal government shutdown looms as political disagreements among Republicans threaten to disrupt essential services. Key figures within the party are at odds over whether to proceed with a bipartisan Senate plan to keep the government operational. The impact on federal employees and the public remains uncertain as the deadline approaches.
Stuck on Stupid
Republican Mike Lawler from New York expressed his frustration with fellow party members, stating, “Some of my colleagues have, frankly, been stuck on stupid and refused to do what we were elected to do, against the vast majority of the conference, who have been working to avoid a shutdown.”
The Consequences
If an agreement to fund the government is not reached by midnight on Saturday, several federal functions will halt. This will lead to employee furloughs and a disruption of essential services.
Past Shutdowns
In recent years, including those in 2013, 2018, and 2019, shutdowns have often been driven by hardline Republicans in Congress but have not yielded positive political outcomes.
The most recent shutdown, in 2019, resulted from a dispute over immigration policy instigated by then-President Donald Trump.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of the 35-day shutdown at approximately $18 billion, with $3 billion taken off the US GDP.
Current Situation
Despite previous experiences, former President Trump has endorsed the idea of another shutdown.
Bob Good, a staunch conservative from Virginia, revealed that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would not allow a vote on the Senate’s stopgap measure designed to prevent a shutdown.
A Tough Spot For McCarthy
McCarthy, who leads the House with a slim five-seat majority, finds himself in a political bind, caught between hardline conservatives who previously pushed him through 15 votes to become speaker and are now considering efforts to remove him from the position.
Moderates in Danger
Moderate Republicans, like Mike Lawler, are particularly vulnerable to losing their seats in the upcoming elections as Democrats seek to regain control of the House and voters potentially hold Moderate Republicans responsible for the shutdown.
Lawler’s Perspective
Lawler emphasized his opposition to a government shutdown, saying, “Two weeks ago, the speaker came forth with a proposal that would reduce spending by 8% in the 30-day continuing resolution, as well as enact most of the provisions of HR2 [a House bill] to deal with our border crisis.” He criticized fellow Republican Matt Gaetz for opposing the proposal.
Gaetz Weighs In
Gaetz, a strong supporter of former President Trump, has been a vocal critic of McCarthy and suggested that the speaker might turn to Democrats to keep the government open.
Lawler acknowledged that Democratic and moderate Republican support could avert a shutdown but could also signal the end of McCarthy’s tenure as speaker.
Predictions
A source familiar with moderate Republicans’ thinking anticipated that the shutdown might last approximately five days.
This projection arises from a House rules committee’s block on the bipartisan deal, making it possible to reach the floor only on the first day of the shutdown, with five days needed to secure passage through both chambers.
Burning the Place Down
The source also characterized hard-right Republicans as wanting to “burn the place down” and questioned their seriousness, emphasizing the thin margins in Congress where every vote counts.
Lawler’s Final Remarks
Lawler highlighted the adverse consequences of a government shutdown, stating, “I will not support a government shutdown, that we need to do everything we can to avoid one. Nobody wins in a shutdown. And in fact, the American people are going to be the ones that get hurt.”
Public Response
In response to the impending Government shutdown, many side with Republicans because they feel the proposals offered by Democrats are far too wasteful with their spending.
200-Page Bills
One social media user commented, “There’s nothing insane about being against 200-page bills full of unrelated issues to the actual name of the bill being presented to Congress hours before expecting them to be signed. I fully support the freedom caucus in their effort to focus on one issue bills.”
The World Police
A second social media user said there “should be ZERO negotiation on cutting Americans’ help and benefits.
Just STOP spending BILLIONS being the world police. Done.”
Congress Gets Paid Regardless
However, some people feel Congress as a whole is the problem, with a third social media user stating, “Congresses main responsibility is to fund the government, yet this nonsense happens every 6 months, maybe if their checks were effected by the shutdown they would feel differently? They still get paid whether they do their job or not, gotta love the US.”
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The post Countdown to Chaos as Shutdown Looms. Republicans Vow to “Burn the Place Down” first appeared on Career Step Up
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