The Facts
The chances of a US federal government shutdown have increased as the Republican-controlled House and Democrat-run Senate have planned votes on conflicting government funding bills that are unlikely to become law.
The Senate is holding a procedural vote Thursday on a stopgap bill, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), that would fund the government through Nov. 17. Meanwhile, the House has scheduled late-night votes on four funding bills that will not make it through the upper chamber.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
The far-right faction of the GOP is holding the US government hostage, showing a complete disregard for the US government and the Constitution. Instead of engaging in good-faith negotiations, House Republicans are using must-pass legislation to advance their extreme and obstructionist agenda. Politicians shouldn’t leverage a shutdown to cut funding and sneak in unrelated legislation, and the GOP is hurting Americans with its antics.
Republican narrative
The truth is that the US has functioned just fine during previous shutdowns, and sometimes you need to stick to your guns during certain negotiations and iron out the fine points. While a shutdown may have some minor consequences for government employees, delayed paychecks pale in comparison to the damage of unrestrained government spending. Republicans campaign on cutting wasteful spending and reducing the deficit, and they owe it to Americans to stay true to their word. Even if it means irking bureaucrats in Washington.
