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Numerous federal unions have expressed their readiness to support a government shutdown, notwithstanding the potential for significant repercussions, including job losses, for their members due to a budget breach.
The Federal Unionists Network (FUN) and 35 national, state, and local unions revealed in a memo to prominent Democratic leaders, imploring them to resist a clean GOP budget package — a move many perceive as Democrats playing politics with the government shutdown.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have made it clear they are content keeping the government shut down unless President Donald Trump and Republicans cave to their demands to provide healthcare to illegal immigrants, among other things.
“A government shutdown is never Plan A,” the letter from the FUN and 35 cosponsoring unions reads. “Federal workers and the communities we serve will face severe hardship. But federal workers will willingly forego paychecks in the hopes of preserving the programs we have devoted our lives to administering.”
“In order to save our services today, we need to send a message to this Administration that enough is enough,” the letter continues.
Schumer explicitly rationalized collaborating with Republicans to finance the government in March by asserting that a government shutdown would yield extensive repercussions for federal employees.
Prominent Democratic leaders are insisting that Republicans consent to prolong Biden-era Obamacare subsidies in return for their backing. A permanent extension would incur a cost of $350 billion to federal taxpayers over the forthcoming decade, as per a recent estimate by the Congressional Budget Office.
Republicans contend that Congress should address government financing before deliberating on the tax credits, which are not set to expire until December 31.
Senate Republicans now perceive the Democrats’ stance on the shutdown as an act of hostage-taking, with no substantial basis for negotiations until the government reopens.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Democrats weeks ago that he would provide them a vote on the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits in exchange for their support in reopening the government.
Democrats have balked at the proposal for weeks.
This comes amid the federal government shutdown, which is approaching almost 40 days.
The Democratic House and Senate leaders sent a letter to President Trump on Wednesday morning, a day after elections nationwide saw their party pick up gains in blue regions, demanding “bipartisan” talks to reopen the government.
“We write to demand a bipartisan meeting of legislative leaders to end the GOP shutdown and decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis,” the short letter began. “Democrats stand ready to meet with you anytime, anyplace.”
The letter comes after most Senate Democrats have voted 14 times against a GOP-led spending bill to reopen the government.
Meanwhile, a new report suggests that key elements of a potential deal to end the federal government shutdown are beginning to take shape — though it remains uncertain when, or even if, all sides will reach an agreement.
According to Axios, the proposed “three-legged” plan includes three main components: a Senate vote on Affordable Care Act tax credits, a short-term continuing resolution to give negotiators more time to finalize a full-year budget for the fiscal year that began October 1, and a separate vote to fund military construction, the legislative branch, and agriculture programs.
“I think we’re getting close to an off-ramp here,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, told the outlet.
One sticking point, however, remains the duration of the continuing resolution to keep the government funded.
Before Senate Democrats forced the government into a shutdown, the House had already passed a bill to keep it funded through November 21.
If the Senate now strikes a deal to reopen the government, the House will have to return to session and approve the measure, extending the funding deadline in the process.
