Today was the second day of the United States government shutting down.
The shutdown occurred because although Republicans hold both the House of Representatives and the Senate, Senate rules require that 60 out of 100 senators vote in favor of the spending bill. Currently, only 53 senators are Republican, and they lack the additional 7 Democrats that would be required to pass the bill.
Democrats are holding out for concessions to the Big Beautiful Bill that passed earlier this year and which cut programs for every vulnerable population imaginable. Many cuts are effective with the new Federal fiscal year which started on October 1, and therefore are currently in effect. I included a link to the continuing resolution submitted by Democrats, which would extend the programs that were cut by the Big Beautiful Bill for a number of months. So far, Republicans have refused to negotiate on the resolution.
Republicans have latched onto a narrative that rallies their base and has become a toxic talking point on social media: The Democrats want to give Medicaid to "illegal aliens." This is a lie with a possible tiny basis in truth. The extended budget would provide Medicaid (depending on a person's income, household composition, etc...) to certain immigrants who entered lawfully, but whose status has been eliminated by the Trump Administration. Therefore, if they are "illegal." But frankly, I can't even find this explicitly stated in the resolution. There is absolutely nothing about it, specifically. But I suppose it's not a complete lie. Republicans wouldn't just invent a lie out of thin air. Right? Am I naive?
The continuing resolution does call for the continuation of numerous programs at 2025 levels through the 2026 fiscal year, while Congress argues over which ones will get to survive. There are some very important funds that were cut, on which tens of millions of Americans depend either sometimes or all the time.
For example, health care premiums through the Affordable Care Act for around 8 million households will more than double. And this isn't just a matter of a few hundred dollars. They'll more than double from an already-expensive $800 to a whopping $1800. This situation will get dire for households.
There are food programs, homeless programs, housing programs, veterans programs...There is science, cooperative agreements, infrastructure projects...these cuts are vast, and began already.
I have strong opinions on virtually everything that is happening, some of my opinions contradict each other. What I know is that our politicians are woefully inadequate for their function. They were not elected because they are statesmen and orators. They were elected because they appeal to the baser instincts of key decisionmakers in each party. And for this, we all suffer.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrj1znp0pyo
https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy26_democratic_continuing_resolution_text.pdf
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