The end appears to be in sight for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Last night, a group of Democrats broke with party leaders to reach a deal with the Republicans. The measure would keep the government open through January, and it still faces several hurdles before it’s a done deal.
The breakthrough came when eight Senate Democrats crossed the aisle and agreed to end the shutdown without a guaranteed extension of funding for the Affordable Care Act, also known as ‘Obamacare.’ Instead, both sides have agreed to hold a vote by mid-December on extending the expiring health care tax credits.
Those Democrats admitted that keeping the government shut down is not a winning formula.
One of them, Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said, “As of this morning, there was a zero chance of having work on the ACA. Now, there’s a measurable chance. Will it be everything that everybody wanted? No, because we need 60 votes.”
Another, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) said, “But here’s the thing. We can open the government and we can still fight to address this looming health care crisis.”
Their position angered other Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), who voted against ending the shutdown.
Schumer said, “I must vote no. This health care crisis is so urgent, so severe, so devastating for families back home that I cannot support this CR (Continuing Resolution) that fails to address the health care crisis.”
However, it’s average Americans who are being hurt by a shutdown that’s now past 40 days. Federal workers are going without pay, nearly 42 million people who depend on SNAP benefits are in jeopardy as emergency backup funds run out, and airline passengers are experiencing major delays and cancellations.
One airline passenger said he had endured “a 17-hour layover, that’s a whole day off my vacation.”
On Sunday alone, U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,700 flights, and there were 10,000 delays, mostly due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce air traffic because of fewer air traffic controllers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News Sunday that with the holidays coming, the airlines might have to cancel one out of every five flights by Thanksgiving if the shutdown didn’t end.
“As I look two weeks out as we get closer to Thanksgiving travel, listen, I think what’s going to happen is you’re going to have air travel slow to a trickle,” Duffy said.
With now little chance of victory on funding Obamacare, it could look to some as if the government shutdown accomplished nothing.
President Trump on Truth Social said funding for Obamacare should instead “BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE.”
The measure in the Senate would keep the government open through January 30th. However, it still faces a series of votes and could take several days to pass both the Senate and the House.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you receive the latest news from a Christian perspective.***
