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The government shutdown continues. And we don’t look any closer to an end.
Both parties have been hammering each other on the issue of how to assign blame, which mostly consists of daily press conferences in which party leaders repeat the same talking points. They’re hoping the messages will resonate with voters, who so far have been split on who is at fault.
It’s easy to get lost in the sauce on some of these messages, so I thought I would take this week’s newsletter to walk through the biggest messaging points coming from both parties — and how accurate they are to the full story.
Democrats: Republicans want health care tax subsidies to expire
Democrats’ main demand in this shutdown showdown is language to permanently extend some COVID-era tax subsidies in the Affordable Care Act that are set to expire at the end of this year. Republicans have continually pushed off those demands, saying those negotiations should happen separately during regular budget talks.
That’s led to this being Democrats’ main talking point, as put by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.: “The government is shut down for one reason and one reason only: Donald Trump and the Republicans would rather kick 15 million people off health insurance and raise premiums by thousands and thousands of dollars a year on tens of millions of Americans, rather than sit down and work with Democrats on fixing healthcare.”
To be clear, the passage of the spending resolution currently under consideration wouldn’t kick millions of people off health care — there’s no language that does that. But what Democrats are arguing is that if both parties don’t make a deal on extending the subsidies now, it won’t happen before the deadline.
It’s a message Democrats are sure will resonate with voters who rely on the subsidies. Meanwhile, Republicans argue those negotiations could still happen but because that hasn’t been solidified, it’s opened the door for Democrats to hammer them on it.
Republicans: Democrats want health care for illegal immigrants
But Republicans are able to hit Democrats on other health care aspects, so it’s not a total slam dunk.
For example, Democrats are also demanding language that would undo certain provisions in President Trump’s big, beautiful bill that implemented restrictions for who can access certain Medicaid benefits — removing refugees, asylum-seekers, and other previously eligible immigrants in the process.
But by doing so, it’s paved the way for Republicans’ counterargument, as put by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.: “Throwing hundreds of billions of new taxpayer dollars to things like funding illegal alien healthcare is not the answer to that problem, and it surely is not the reason for Democrats to be shutting down the government, and yet, that’s what they’re doing.”
It’s important to note that illegal immigrants cannot purchase health care under the Affordable Care Act, and they are not eligible for Medicaid benefits. They could possibly access some of those dollars through emergency room reimbursements. Still, the complicated legalese has allowed both parties to tow the line on this argument to their benefit.
Democrats: Republicans are passing a partisan spending extension
At this point, you’ve likely heard the words “clean CR” and even “dirty CR” being thrown around. What you might not know is that those definitions are being pretty muddied right now.
A clean CR, or continuing resolution, simply means that the funding extension at hand continues current spending levels without attaching any other policy riders or legislative language. That’s essentially what’s on the table right now.
But Democrats are accusing their Republican counterparts of advancing a “dirty CR,” which would mean a spending extension that tucks in partisan proposals along with must-pass spending bills.
What Democrats really mean is that because the Trump administration has cut so much funding on a partisan basis — referring to the Big Beautiful Bill Act as well as rescissions packages, as I’ve previously reported — the concept of a “clean CR” is no longer possible. They also argue that Republicans wrote the bill by themselves without any Democratic input, which they say dirtied it.
But that’s not entirely accurate for what’s going on here — the bill itself is technically “clean” because it would continue the same spending levels that were first agreed on during the Biden administration. That’s played into Republicans’ hands because they are able to say that Democrats are rejecting a clean CR, which has always been the bipartisan solution to government shutdowns.
Republicans: Democrats voted to withhold military pay
Another talking point you’re sure to see more of next week is who is to blame for the military and other federal workers missing their paychecks.
Paychecks are scheduled to go out on Wednesday, but those will be withheld if a spending agreement is not reached. Republicans so far have said they won’t hold a vote on standalone legislation to ensure military pay, arguing that was already considered in the spending resolution itself.
“We have already voted to pay the troops. We did it three weeks ago,” Johnson told reporters on Thursday morning. “We put that bill on the floor, and the Republicans voted to pay the troops, TSA, Border Patrol, air and traffic patrol, everybody else. The Democrats voted no.”
That statement taken by itself would imply that Democrats are against continuing pay for military members during a shutdown, which isn’t accurate. Several Democratic lawmakers have called for an individual vote to guarantee those paychecks are sent out next week.
But Republicans are standing firm on the matter, pressuring Democrats to pass the GOP-led resolution to greenlight public employee — including military — pay.
— Cami Mondeaux
In case you missed it...
- Map mayhem: After begrudgingly following a judge’s orders to redraw Utah congressional maps, Republican lawmakers promised the state’s redistricting saga was far from over, my colleague Brigham Tomco reports. Members of the GOP majority doubled down on plans to appeal a lawsuit challenging their reforms to a 2018 ballot initiative all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Democrats eye pickup seat: A handful of Democrats are already considering a run for Congress under the new congressional map being advanced in Utah, setting the stage for what could be a crowded primary in one of the most competitive races the Beehive State has seen in years.
How a shutdown affects Utah
While I’ve been covering developments in Washington, my colleagues have been doing a stellar job keeping y’all (and me!) updated on how a shutdown specifically affects Utahns.
Here’s the latest dispatch from Brigham:
On Tuesday, the Deseret News reported the White House had prepared a memo saying it would not interpret the ‘’Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019″ to ensure compensation after a shutdown.
This could have wide-ranging implications for Utah’s roughly 40,000 workers employed by the federal government, including the 20,000 at Hill Air Force Base and 7,500 at the IRS centers in Ogden.
Since a partial shutdown began on Oct. 1, an estimated 750,000 federal workers have been sent home without the assurance of payment — and under the threat of mass layoffs.
Read more here.
Quick hits
From the Hill: Threat of no military pay divides lawmakers but does little to move needle on shutdown. … Senate confirms 100 of Trump’s nominees at once. … Here’s what Utah’s all-Republican delegation thinks of the new congressional map.
From the White House: White House hints federal layoffs if Democrats don’t pass spending bill on Monday. … Trump says antifa violence increasing during White House roundtable. … Trump administration backs Gov. Cox’s vision on energy, lands.
From the courts: James Comey pleads not guilty to federal charges. … The Supreme Court seems prepared to overturn conversion therapy ban for minors. … Supreme Court declines appeal from former Jeffrey Epstein girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
What’s next
The Senate will return on Tuesday evening after the holiday weekend. The chamber was originally scheduled to be in recess for next week, but will return so senators can continue voting on spending resolutions.
The House canceled votes for the entire week, instead designating it as “district work days” meaning lawmakers will stay home in their home states.
As always, feel free to reach out to me by email with story ideas or questions you have for lawmakers. And follow me on X for breaking news and timely developments from the Hill.