On October 1, funding for most federal departments lapsed, meaning that the federal government has entered a shutdown.
How We Got Here
On September 19, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a lapse in federal funding. This stopgap measure would allow Congress to continue working through the appropriations process, build a responsible federal budget, and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.
Democrats in the Senate, led by Chuck Schumer, chose to oppose the CR passed by the House and give in to the demands of the far-left — proposing a $1.5 trillion spending increase and trying to roll back important reforms to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
Because Senate Democrats have not yet voted to fund the government, the federal government remains shut down. The Senate will continue to hold votes to reopen the government.
What Happens in a Shutdown?
During a shutdown, federal agencies operate with reduced staffing. Many important programs will continue, including:
Social Security payments
Medicare and Medicaid benefits
VA medical care and benefits
SNAP benefits
Mail delivery and USPS operations
The shutdown will affect other programs on a case-by-case basis. For more information on the shutdown, you can view the White House information page here.
Government shutdowns do not benefit Wisconsin families. I am working with Senator Ron Johnson to end government shutdowns once and for all. Our bill, the Eliminate Government Shutdowns Actprovides for an automatic clean continuing resolution at the end of a fiscal year.
I spoke about my work to reopen the government and end shutdowns on a recent interview here.
