The federal government has shut down for the first time since 2019. Mass layoffs have been threatened. And, President Trump announced a pricing deal with Pfizer.
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Much of the federal government is now shut down after the Senate was unable to reach an agreement on two competing funding bills. The last government shutdown, which lasted 35 days and was the longest in U.S. history, occurred from December 2018 to January 2019. The Trump administration has used government websites and agency-wide emails to accuse Democrats of causing the shutdown. Some ethics experts say that could violate the Hatch Act, which is intended to keep politics out of government work.
???? Earlier this year, Senate Democrats helped Republicans to keep the government funded, a move that drew sharp criticism, NPR’s Claudia Grisales tells Up First. Since then, the Democrats’ limited influence in Washington has become evident as President Trump and the GOP passed a massive partisan spending and tax plan. Now, Democrats are seeking an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire this year. Grisales says the Senate will hold another vote, and with a few Democrats crossing party lines Tuesday night to vote with Republicans, the GOP could be looking to build on that.
???? Many federal workers will not receive their pay during the shutdown, says NPR’s Andrea Hsu. In 2019, Congress passed a law requiring that federal employees receive back pay once a shutdown ends. However, the White House has threatened to fire many federal workers during this shutdown. Yesterday, two unions representing federal employees filed a lawsuit, arguing that the administration’s threats of mass layoffs during a government shutdown are an unlawful abuse of power by the administration. The unions claim the threats are aimed at punishing workers and pressuring Democrats in Congress to cave.
➡️ A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll indicates that Republicans would face more blame than Democrats for a government shutdown. However, a significant percentage would blame both parties equally.
➡️ History tells us that during a shutdown, visitors will likely find shuttered doors at major cultural institutions like Smithsonian museums.
