Breaking Down the Battle Over Government Funding and Health Care
There's a big fight brewing in government circles. Lawmakers are trying to prevent the government from shutting down by passing a bill that provides funding until late November. This bill also includes increased funding for security measures for government officials. However, not everyone is on board. The disagreement? Health care funding.
Who's Saying What?
The person leading the House, Mike Johnson, is confident that the bill will pass. He stated, "We're going to keep the government running and give our funding experts extra time to work things out."
Usually, Democrats are okay with extending the same funding levels if new annual spending bills can't be agreed upon. However, this time, they're not playing ball. They're concerned that millions of people who depend on increased federal subsidies from the Affordable Care Act might lose their health care if lawmakers don't act.
The leader of the House Democrats, Hakeem Jeffries from New York, made it clear that they will not support the bill. He said, "We won't back a spending bill that Republicans are trying to force on the American people that continues to slash health care."
Republicans can afford to lose two members in the House and still pass the bill. However, some representatives, like Thomas Massie, Warren Davidson, Victoria Spartz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Tim Burchett, are undecided or have stated they will vote against it.
What's Happening Behind the Scenes?
Despite some disagreement, Massie believes the bill will pass. He said, "There might be some disagreements and some negotiations, but I think they'll get it through."
The House, which is led by Republicans, usually has better chances of passing significant bills if they have clear support from the former president – which they got earlier this week on social media.
There's also a chance that some moderate Democrats could help pass the bill in the House. For instance, Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine, voted for the last temporary funding measure in March.
However, if the House Republicans do manage to pass the bill, they might face a hurdle in the Senate. The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York, has warned that Republicans shouldn't expect help from Democrats to get the 60 votes needed to push the bill forward in the Senate.
Alternative Proposals
Democrats in the House and Senate proposed their own bill to continue funding until the end of October. Their plan is to reverse some Medicaid changes made in a tax plan passed by Republicans in July and to extend health care subsidies that will run out at the end of this year. Their bill also includes more funding for enhanced security for lawmakers, executive branch officials, and members of the federal judiciary.
What's the Contention?
John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader, criticized the Democrats' proposal, calling it a reversal of strategy and packed full of partisan policies designed to appeal to the Democrats' far-left base. Schumer, who previously voted with Republicans to fund the government, is now under a lot of pressure from grassroots activists to fight Republicans.
Many Senate Democrats believe voting against the spending bill is one way to push back on decisions made by the previous administration like cutting funding for programs Congress previously approved, laying off federal workers, and using executive actions to bypass Congressional consent.
But the fight over health care is dividing Republicans in Congress. Even though no Republican lawmakers voted for the Affordable Care Act and many have tried to repeal parts or all of the law, the program has become popular. Many are publicly saying that Congress should continue some federal subsidies to help working-class Americans buy health plans.
What's Next?
Senate Democrats are pushing their Republican colleagues to allow a vote on their proposal. Senate leaders are now ready to let votes happen on both the Republican spending bill and the Democrats' version.
Speaker Johnson hasn't ruled out a bill to address the expiring ACA subsidies. He stated that it shouldn't be part of this month's funding debate, but it's a topic that could be discussed in December.