‘We are failing the American people’: GOP Rep. criticizes shutdown

Government Shutdown & Congressional Dysfunction - Congress has not passed a budget since March of last year and failed to pass a seven-week extension for the existing budget [3] - The focus in DC is on blaming the other side for the shutdown instead of working together to end it [4] - Government shutdowns are an absolute institutional failure of Congress that needs to be avoided [6] - Canceling session days is frustrating as there are only seven weeks to pass 12 appropriation bills to set the entire budget for the next year [7] Healthcare & ACA Subsidies - There is concern about constituents seeing a big increase in healthcare premiums [9] - A deal on ACA subsidies is needed, and reaching a deal now could lead to a quicker government reopening [9][10] - Chuck Schumer's requests for the seven-week funding extension have not been reasonable [10][11] Impact of Shutdown - The government shutdown is causing disillusion and frustration among the American people [20] - Many federal workers are furloughed, military members may miss paychecks, and critical services are unavailable [19] - The President is targeting Democratic states, with funding being cancelled for green energy programs [13][14] Potential Solutions & Negotiations - Exploring common ground on issues like ACA subsidies or redistricting could create momentum to reopen the government [12] - Both sides are yelling at each other instead of talking, hindering progress [12] - Concrete steps need to be taken to have a reasonable negotiation and reopen the government quickly [16]