The federal government shutdown is now in its third day, as frustration mounts nationwide.
Federal workers are missing paychecks, national parks are closed, and small businesses tied to government contracts are left in limbo.
At the center of the standoff is a familiar fight: Democrats want to keep the extra Obamacare benefits in place, while Republicans refuse to extend government funding for what they call a wasteful program.
The clash began on Wednesday when Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer of New York, rejected a 45-day funding bill passed by the House of Representatives. Some Republican leaders say Democrats are holding the government hostage to keep in place the costly health care “assistance” created during the COVID-19 era.
“Today… America’s boys and girls will walk up to these doors, and they’ll see something different, a sign that says ‘closed until further notice’, and that’s because at midnight, the Democrats followed through on their threat to shut down the United States government,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said at a press conference this week.
The impact is widespread. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed or working without pay. In Texas, border security funding and veterans’ services could be delayed, with ICE operations and VA benefits also potentially suspended.
“The sad thing about it is that every single bit of this was entirely avoidable. Democrats could have worked with us in a bipartisan manner to avert this unnecessary and very harmful shutdown, but instead, they did something that is rather shocking to us: they prioritized taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens over keeping the government open for American citizens themselves,” Johnson added.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) has unveiled the SHUTDOWN Act, which would impose a daily tax on congressional salaries for every day the government remains closed, according to Fox News. The proposal sidesteps constitutional barriers that prevent pay cuts, instead taxing members of Congress directly.
“If Congress can’t do the bare minimum, we don’t deserve a paycheck,” Moreno said. With lawmakers earning $174,000 annually—far above the average household income—the SHUTDOWN Act is a strong move that could resonate across the country.
President Donald Trump has shown little sympathy for the Democrats’ holdout. The White House recently paused infrastructure projects in New York, including subway upgrades in Schumer’s district, according to AP News, showing that the shutdown cuts both ways.
While progressives like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) are urging Democrats to “stiffen spines,” others may be whispering about compromise. Schumer hinted that the shutdown could be resolved within hours earlier this week with GOP cooperation, but his track record on past standoffs suggests that Democrats rarely come out ahead.
The GOP points to 2013, when Democrats gained little from a 16-day shutdown over the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
“Obamacare is a flawed system, okay? There has to be reform. That’s not something you can negotiate in a couple of days. That’s going to take all the month of October or November, assuming that we could even reach agreement on that,” Johnson said in a statement published on September 30.
The Senate is expected to vote again on Friday. Until then, taxpayers remain caught in the crossfire.