It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. We think of it as a mini-magazine in your inbox.
WHERE ARE WE WITH THE SHUTDOWN?
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
When deep in the woods, without a map or compass, it is hard to know how close you are to the path home.
Day 21(!) of the shutdown is a forested déjà vu of repeated soundbites and hilly politics. For federal workers, one thing is changing: The financial sky is growing darker.
Where are we? Let’s do some brief orienteering.
Perspective
This shutdown is one of the longest shutdowns in U.S. history. By Wednesday, it will have surpassed the 1995-1996 shutdown during the Clinton administration that lasted 21 days.
And if this stalemate continues, it could become the longest on record by early November.
Of those, at least 700,000 federal workers are furloughed, meaning off the job without pay. We calculated this using data from current agency contingency plans and the Partnership for Public Service’s shutdown tracker.
The remaining civilian workers are divided into two large groups, each in the hundreds of thousands: those working without pay and those who are still being paid, thanks to agency reserve funds or self-financing fees.
All 1.3 million active duty troops got their normal pay day last week, after Trump ordered that the military find funds to make sure they got checks. It’s not clear if or how another reprieve would come as the shutdown continues.
Why has this lasted so long?
Those numbers above give one indication. Much of the federal government is still operating. While museums have closed and some loan programs are frozen, most of the public has not felt the effects of the shutdown deeply.
Another issue: the politics. Shutdowns happen either when a small group of lawmakers can leverage their numbers to block funding or when both parties see upsides from refusing to compromise.
Democrats say they won’t back Republicans’ funding bill unless Republicans sit down to discuss expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits. But Republicans say they won’t meet with Democrats unless they support a clean funding bill.
Add to that: Both sides are getting support from their ideological bases for these positions.
When could this end?
The next dates to watch are Oct. 24 and Nov. 1.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of civilian workers will begin to miss a full paycheck. That could add pressure for all lawmakers, particularly Democrats. The GOP funding bill needs five Senate Democrats to go through.
Democrats want tax credit subsidies for Affordable Care Act coverage. The exchanges begin open enrollment Nov. 1 — and as things stand now, millions will see unsubsidized health care rates for the next year.
Democrats could see this as their short-term “game over,” when they could say, “We tried and there is no point in keeping the government shut.” Will that happen? Not clear.
A view inside the PBS News Hour control room. Photo by Timothy McPhillips/PBS News
By Joshua Barajas
Senior Editor, Digital
PBS News is half of a century old! We aired our first broadcast 50 years ago this week.
As co-anchors Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz said on Monday’s broadcast, the show envisioned by Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer may have changed names over the years, but the mission remains the same: thoughtful and trustworthy journalism.
We want to extend a hearty thanks to all of our viewers, readers and listeners, who have supported us across five decades.
The show will mark the 50-year milestone in a deeper way later this week. Until then, join us as we dig through our archives and hear from you to celebrate this moment.
Following similar moves in Texas and Missouri, lawmakers in the Tar Heel state heeded President Donald Trump’s demands and approved a new congressional map Tuesday to add a seat that will likely favor Republicans. The move further helps Trump’s stated efforts to maintain GOP control of the U.S. House in the midterms next year.
Democrats in California have attempted to counter this Republican upswell with their own redistricting push.
But not all redistricting efforts have been a direct response to Trump. Ohio, under state rules, is redrawing its map before the current one expires in 2026. In another state, a long-running redistricting battle has been fiercely fought in the courts.
Our question: Which state is under a court order to redraw its map after a judge ruled it violated the state’s anti-gerrymandering rules?
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: Which president has overseen the most funding gaps and shutdowns?
Congratulations to our winners: Jane Peterson and Paul Taylor!
PBS News depends on the support of individuals who believe in the importance of independent, balanced and in-depth reporting on the most important domestic and international issues of the day. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to ensure our vital reporting continues to thrive. Thank you.
