The Schumer Shutdown is now in day 24, and it's not looking like we'll see a solution before the weekend; probably not during the weekend. To put more pressure on the Democrats, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA) has taken the next step: He has canceled all votes in the House of Representatives until the government re-opens.
Johnson’s move is a part of his continued pressure strategy on Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who have sunk the GOP’s federal funding plan 12 times since Sept. 19, when the House passed the measure.
Sept. 19 was also the last day the House was in session, meaning lawmakers have been largely in their home districts for over a month.
Republicans are pushing a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending levels through Nov. 21 — called a continuing resolution (CR) — aimed at giving congressional negotiators time to strike a longer-term deal for FY2026.
We should note that the cessation of votes in the House shouldn't hamper the Senate; the House of Representatives already passed the clean CR that Senate Democrats are blocking.
Democrats, furious at being sidelined in federal funding discussions, have been withholding their support for any spending bill that does not also extend COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are due to expire at the end of this year.
Johnson's decision was made public on Friday afternoon during a brief pro forma session in the House. Under rules dictated by the Constitution, the chamber must meet for brief periods every few days called "pro forma" sessions to ensure continuity, even if there are no formal legislative matters at hand.
It is perhaps belaboring the obvious to note that the COVID debacle has long since ended, so it's hard to see any reason for continuing these subsidies, nor to spend billions, even trillions, on benefits that will also be available to illegal aliens.
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There have been 12 votes in the Senate on the clean CR. Three Democrats have been voting to re-open the government: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Senator Angus King (I-ME). That leaves the CR five votes short of the 60-vote threshold required for passage under Senate rules. The Bipartisan Policy Center notes that while the shutdown is in effect, 670,000 federal employees are furloughed, 730,000 are working potentially without pay; as of this writing on Friday, some federal employees have missed entire paychecks for the first time since the shutdown began. 1.3 million active-duty service members and 750,000 reservists may face some time without pay, although the military is being paid for the moment by reallocating some funds, and also in no small part due to a $130 million anonymous donation.
Senate Democrats, of course, could reopen the government at any time by agreeing to a CR that simply keeps the government funded and open at current levels until a longer-term budget agreement can be negotiated.
The Senate reconvenes on Monday, October 27th. We'll be watching.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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