By David Morgan, Andy Sullivan, Steve Holland and Nolan D. McCaskill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White Home on Monday backed off President Donald Trump’s assertion that authorities staff have been already being laid off because of the shutdown, however warned job losses might consequence because the standoff regarded set to stretch right into a seventh day.
The Republican-led Senate for a fifth time rejected dueling measures to fund federal businesses, with inadequate assist for each a Republican proposal to fund operations by November 21 and a Democratic model that might additionally prolong healthcare subsidies resulting from expire on the finish of the yr.
Trump instructed reporters on the White Home that he can be open to a deal on the subsidies, which assist 24 million individuals purchase medical health insurance by the Inexpensive Care Act – a regulation that Republicans bitterly opposed for years. Shoring up the expiring subsidies has been Democrats’ primary demand and first motive for voting in opposition to the Republican plan.
However on the sixth day of the shutdown, the Republican president and prime Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer couldn’t even agree whether or not the 2 sides have been speaking, with Trump saying there have been negotiations ongoing and Schumer saying there weren’t.
The Republican-led Home of Representatives was not in session, and Home Speaker Mike Johnson stated he had no plans to reopen it till the federal government was funded.
The standoff has frozen about $1.7 trillion in funds for company operations, which quantities to roughly one-quarter of annual federal spending. A lot of the rest goes to well being and retirement packages and curiosity funds on the rising $37.88 trillion debt.
BACKTRACKING ON LAYOFFS
Through the shutdown’s first week, the Trump administration has lower off some federal funds to Democratic-led cities and states and continued to boost the specter of mass firings, although none seemed to be forthcoming. Earlier shutdowns haven’t pressured the federal government to fireplace any employees, although a whole bunch of hundreds are sometimes instructed to not work.
Trump stated on Sunday evening that layoffs have been happening “proper now,” however White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday he had been referring to these furloughed since Congress allowed funding to run out on October 1.
The White Home price range workplace “is continuous to work with businesses on who, sadly, goes to need to be laid off if this shutdown continues,” she stated at a information briefing.
Labor unions representing federal employees have sued to forestall that from taking place, arguing that such layoffs would violate a regulation that features felony penalties.
The administration has already frozen at the least $28 billion in infrastructure funds for New York, California and Illinois — all dwelling to sizable Democratic populations and critics of the president.
However Democratic leaders confirmed no signal of knuckling below to the White Home’s hardball techniques, which have brought on unease amongst some centrist Republicans who worry the strategy might make the deadlock tougher to beat.
The partial shutdown, the fifteenth since 1981, was on monitor to face alone because the fourth-longest in U.S. historical past on Tuesday, exceeding the six-day size of a 1995 shutdown. The longest shutdown lasted 35 days in 2018-2019, throughout Trump’s first time period in workplace.
Whereas border guards, airport safety screeners and different “important” staff remained on the job with out pay, different authorities actions floor to a halt. The Federal Register, which generally lists greater than 100 proposed laws and different notices day by day, solely confirmed 4 entries on Monday morning.
Strain to finish the standoff might mount subsequent week, when 1.3 million troops and different navy employees are resulting from miss their paychecks for the primary time for the reason that shutdown started.
Air journey may very well be one other issue. Extra of the nation’s 13,000 air visitors controllers have been calling in sick for the reason that shutdown started, which might result in flight delays, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated. Lawmakers resolved the final shutdown in 2019 after absences of controllers and airport safety screeners spiked.
Republicans maintain a 53-47 Senate majority however want the votes of at the least eight Democrats to satisfy the chamber’s 60-vote threshold for many laws, since Republican Senator Rand Paul opposes the stopgap funding measure. To this point solely two Democrats and an unbiased who caucuses with them have crossed the aisle.
Some Democrats need a deal on healthcare subsidies in place earlier than open enrollment for subsequent yr begins on November 1.
Johnson stated an answer couldn’t be reached shortly.
“We have got most likely 100 concepts for reforms on the desk, however I am unable to snap my fingers this afternoon and make that occur,” he stated on the Hugh Hewitt radio present.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Andy Sullivan, Jeff Mason, David Morgan and Nolan D. McCaskill; Enhancing by Scott Malone and Cynthia Osterman)
