Sen. Johnson: We 'probably will' shut down government if Dems are demanding $1.5T of spending

Government Funding & Shutdowns - The discussion revolves around the potential for a government shutdown due to disagreements on federal funding between Democrats and Republicans [1][2] - A proposal exists to eliminate shutdowns by implementing 14-day continuing appropriations at the previous year's funding levels [3][4] - The current congressional dysfunction is significant, with Democrats seeking an additional $15 trillion (15,000 billion) in spending over 10 years [5] - The House has passed a continuing resolution without additional spending, but with some "anomalies" [6] - The US has experienced 55 continuing resolutions and 12 increases or suspensions of the debt ceiling, with the national debt rising from $14 trillion to $37 trillion [12] Budgetary Reform & Spending - There's a suggestion to implement budgetary reforms, such as two-year budgets, to reduce partisanship and improve oversight [13] - The current spending level is approximately $7 trillion annually, with discretionary spending accounting for 25% of the budget [10] - Returning to pre-pandemic spending levels is desired, but maintaining current spending levels is proposed as a temporary solution [9][10] Healthcare & ACA - Disagreements exist regarding ACA subsidies, particularly temporary COVID subsidies, with concerns about potential fraud costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars [22][25] - Obamacare is cited as a cause of high insurance costs in the individual market, leading to fraud and increased expenses [23][26] - Approximately 12 million people on ACA exchanges may not be utilizing healthcare, with potential fraud involving unscrupulous agents signing people up [24][29] - Medicaid growth is also a point of contention, with concerns about the Obamacare expansion and its impact on state spending [26]