US Senate Walks Closer To Edge Of Government Shutdown

The US Senate has moved the federal government closer to a shutdown after a stop-gap funding bill failed to pass on September 27. The Senate’s bill was meant to keep the government running for 10 weeks (through early December) until a more comprehensive budget was passed.

While past government shutdown threats were fought over issues like Obama’s Affordable Care Act, this latest fight is centered on two state-level issues: funding for disaster relief in Louisiana (following major flooding) and funding for disaster relief in Michigan (for an on-going lead poisoning disaster in the city of Flint).

The bill that was voted, proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, included funding for Louisiana’s disaster relief, but none for Michigan. Louisiana is represented by two Republican senators, while Michigan is represented by two Democrats.

“Republicans are essentially saying the disasters in our states are more important than the disasters in your state,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, said, reports the New York Times. “It is unfair and it is wrong.”

“Democrats are marching us down a path that leads to a shutdown in order to gain some sort of political advantage,” Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, said.

According to The Hill, a House bill also neglects to give funds to Flint, meaning that any disaster relief aid would need to be hashed out in committee negotiations post-election.

“We need more than just vague promises,” Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat from California, said. “They can commit to us in writing that they can absolutely agree to our provisions. We don’t have any of that.”  

“The writing would be the president signing the bill,” Sen. Gary Peters, one of two Democrats representing Michigan, added.

Josh Earnest, Press Secretary for the White House, supported the Democrats’ demands. “The president has made clear for moths that Congress needs to act to provide resources to the community of Flint.”

Sources: New York Times, The Hill / Photo Credit: Al Drago / New York Times