"Shutdown negotiations can't move forward without President Trump getting more involved in them because "Republicans are afraid to do anything unless the president blesses it," says Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia. The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1. Congress has been unable to pass either of two dueling measures proposed by both major parties. Republicans want a clean spending resolution to fund the government for seven weeks. Democrats want to fund the government and extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies used by more than 20 million people, undo federal health spending cuts and limit Trump's power to withhold funds appropriated by Congress."
"Both sides have blamed each other for the shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned on Monday that the U.S. is "barreling" toward one of the longest shutdowns in U.S. history, "unless Democrats drop their partisan demands and pass a clean, no-strings-attached budget to reopen the government and pay our federal workers." In an interview with Morning Edition, Kaine said Democrats' funding plan is not a demand but an alternative to "fix this health care mess" created by Trump and the GOP."
"The impasse means that, for now, there is no end in sight to the shutdown, As it stretches on, federal employees in Virginia may soon feel or already feel the pain of going without pay. More than 4% of the state's non-farm workers are employed by the federal government, according to the Labor of Bureau Statistics. The state also has the second largest number of active duty servicemembers, according to the Defense Department. Kaine said that while Virginians are troubled by the federal shutdown, many have also been troubled by "the layoffs, the clawbacks of federal public health funding, [and] the cancellation of economic development projects" made since Trump returned to the White House."
Federal funding lapsed on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass competing spending measures. Republicans are seeking a clean, seven-week spending resolution while Democrats want funding paired with extensions of Affordable Care Act subsidies for over 20 million people, reversals of federal health spending cuts, and limits on the president's authority to withhold appropriated funds. Sen. Tim Kaine said negotiations cannot advance without President Trump’s greater involvement because many Republicans will not act without his blessing. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned the nation is barreling toward a prolonged shutdown. Virginia faces economic pain as federal workers go unpaid and projects and funding are cut.
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