Senate Democrats Block Government Funding Bill, Sparking Shutdown

The partial government shutdown has entered its 15th day as Senate Democrats continue to block the House-passed full-year appropriations bill for the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is attempting to garner bipartisan support to fund the department, while Democrats are holding out for health care policy ultimatums. The standoff has resulted in the Pentagon using untapped research and development funds to subsidize service members' paychecks and has left military families lining up at food banks.

Key Takeaways:

• The House-passed full-year appropriations bill for the Department of War would provide funding for the department and ensure that service members are paid during the government shutdown.
• Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., are blocking the bill, demanding that any funding stopgap include costly health care policies, such as a $662 billion extension of the pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credits.
• The Department of Defense has used untapped research and development funds to subsidize service members' paychecks, and a federal district judge has blocked the firing of non-essential government positions.
• The government shutdown has resulted in the temporary unpaid leave of approximately 4,000 federal employees, with estimates suggesting that the total number of Reductions in Force will be "north of 10,000".
• The standoff has left military families relying on food banks, as the entire country waits for Democrats to end their "tantrum".

Statistics:

• 15 days: The length of the government shutdown as of the current date.
• $662 billion: The amount of the pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credits that Democrats are demanding be included in the funding stopgap.
• 4,000: The number of federal employees who have already been placed on temporary unpaid leave as part of the Reductions in Force.
• 10,000+: The estimated total number of federal employees who will be affected by the Reductions in Force.
• Oct. 1: The date when the federal government ran out of money and partially shut down.

Sources:

• "The Centers Square"
• Original publication date: Not stated
• "Senate Democrats Block Government Funding Bill, Sparking Shutdown" (The Centers Square)
• "Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget"
• "A federal district judge blocked the firings" (presumably from a news article or court document cited by The Centers Square, but the specific source is not stated)