If Congress can’t pass a budget by midnight next Tuesday, September 30, the
United States government will shut down.

Remember, Republicans control both the House and Senate. And, in pathetic fealty
to Donald Trump, they are refusing to work with Democrats at all.

So — ironically — the only thing that can save congressional Republicans from
themselves would be if Democrats were to vote for the retrograde MAGA budget,
which includes further healthcare cuts on top of the disastrous Medicaid cuts
Republicans already pushed through.

To state the obvious, Democrats in Congress should not vote MAGA. And Democrats
should not save Republicans from their apparent determination to shut down the
federal government or from the resulting wrath of the American people.

A few notes about government shutdowns:

* Historically, we have rightly come to understand that government shutdowns
are less than ideal. Thus — even in times of extreme partisanship, some very
recent — Democrats and Republicans have generally tried to work together to
avoid disruptive and costly shutdowns.

* But, in so many ways, we now find ourselves living in an unprecedented
moment. And that includes the reality that the Trump regime has been
illegally clawing back money from the previous budget — disregarding the deal
negotiated while slashing programs and agencies we all care about. No new
budget is worth the paper it’s printed on without binding safeguards to stop
these MAGA shenanigans.

* No new budget bill should move forward unless it addresses Americans’ top
economic priority, the cost of and access to health care, and prevents
further illegal clawbacks of congressionally mandated spending — even if that
means letting Republicans cause a government shutdown then forcing them to
confront the uncertainty, pain, and betrayal they will have subjected us all
to.

Join Public Citizen in a direct message to every Democrat in Congress:
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Congressional Republicans seem determined to shut down the federal government
and take the blame from the American people for the damage that will ensue. Do
not bail your Republican colleagues out. Do not help them pass their disastrous
budget. And do not give up your demand that any final budget must address
healthcare and must stop illegal impoundments and rescissions.
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Click to add your name now. [[link removed]]

Thanks for taking action.

For progress,

- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen


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