Newsletter: The Threat of a Government Shutdown
Dear Friends,
I’m sad to report that we are, yet again, on the precipice of a government shutdown. Speaking plainly, the issue is a small group of extremist Republicans who are threatening to shut down the government—or, if Speaker McCarthy acts to prevent a government shutdown, remove him from his post. The Speaker needs to stand up to these extremists by committing to a House vote on a bipartisan Senate measure to fund the government.
This is a time when doing the right thing for our country really matters, but I don’t expect that from House Republican leadership.
At this point, we do not know how this week will end, but I want to take a moment to share some perspectives on what could happen. I will share another update at the end of the week, and my team will continue to update the FAQ page on our website with details on how a shutdown may impact you.
What You Should Know
What happens during a government shutdown?
If Congress cannot pass a short-term solution by 11:59 PM on Saturday, September 30th, the federal government will be forced to suspend all but essential operations almost immediately.
During a government shutdown, essential services related to national security and public safety, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance continue, though they may face disruptions. Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare will remain operational. Veterans will continue to receive benefits through the VA.
Whether partial or full, a shutdown impacts a variety of services and programs. The almost 30,000 federal employees who live in Massachusetts, including 8,000 in our district, would either be furloughed or required to work without pay. There are also over 14,000 active duty and reserve personnel in the Commonwealth at risk of working without pay. Nationally, one in three service families have less than $3,000 in savings -- not enough to cover the cost of housing and daycare in most places.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the 2018-2019 partial shutdown cost an $11 billion shortfall in economic output in the following two quarters—including $3 billion that the U.S. economy never regained.
The length of the shutdown has a major impact on how much it will be felt by our district. In the past, shutdowns have lasted anywhere from a few hours to 35 days. Should a shutdown occur, it will be all hands on deck in Washington to get the government back up and running before more serious consequences arise.
How did we get here?
By now, Congress should have passed 12 separate funding bills, conferred with the Senate to reach a final agreement, and sent them on to the President. The House has only passed one.
The fundamental disagreement isn’t between parties, but between different groups of Republicans.
A faction of far-right GOP representatives is insisting on draconian budget cuts that would severely reduce funding for critical programs that Americans depend on, like Head Start for our children and Meals on Wheels for seniors. Not to mention, it would gut FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund in the midst of hurricane season, cut critical home heating support just as it’s getting colder out, and undermine border security efforts by cutting 800 Customs and Border Patrol Officers while Massachusetts and other states are grappling with a surge of migrants. Even if the Republican party at large caved to these extremists and passed a funding bill with these draconian cuts, it would go nowhere in a Senate that understands how dangerous these cuts would be for all of us.
This small “Wrecking Ball Caucus,” led by members like Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, has so much leverage to cause this chaos because Kevin McCarthy made secret promises to them back in January in order to win the Speakership. One of these promises would let any one individual Republican member of the House force another election for Speaker (which took four days and fifteen votes the first time around). These insurgents want a shutdown, and now they will likely get one.
What are the options on the table?
A standoff like this one typically ends with a bipartisan vote on a compromise bill to fund the government for up to a few months, which gives Congress enough time to hammer out and pass the 12 full-year spending bills. Democrats are ready and willing to help pass a sensible and responsible solution. This is exactly what the Senate is on its way to passing. But it's unclear whether Speaker McCarthy would even bring it up for a vote for fear of being ousted by this extremist faction of his party.
The extremists are refusing to even vote on the funding bill. How anti-democratic is that?
What happens next?
This week, the House is expected to vote on multiple appropriations bills, but it will be impossible to pass every one needed to fund the government, even if all goes according to plan. For the past two weeks, House Republicans haven’t even managed to pass appropriations for the Department of Defense, which is usually the easiest.
At the end of the day, extremists are again setting a dangerous precedent that we can play politics with our entire government and millions of livelihoods. We must get Washington back to a place where compromise is normal.
My office will continue to keep you updated as this all plays out. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you need any assistance.
All the best,
Rep. Seth Moulton