The faceoff between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate shows little progress in finding a compromise that would allow the Federal government to reopen shuttered offices as the impasse enters its third week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) continues to bring the House passed continuing resolution(CR) up for a vote in an attempt to get the eight democrat votes needed to pass the measure. Democrats, however, insist they will not support a funding measure that fails to include an extension of subsidies for health insurance obtained through the Obamacare marketplace. Republicans want to pass a clean CR to reopen the government and address the health subsidies in separate legislation. House Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-La) continues to keep the House out of session while the shutdown is ongoing. The House last held votes on Sept. 19, when Republicans pushed through the CR that has stalled in the Senate.
The Trump administration is “pausing” more than $11 billion in water infrastructure projects to 12 Democrat-controlled states, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said Friday. The Army Corps of Engineers projects in California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Oregon, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware and Colorado are now “under review,” according to the Office of Management and Budget. Funding for two transit projects in New York have also been placed on hold pending review to confirm that the projects disadvantaged business enterprise requirements conform with newly released guidance from US Department of Transportation (DOT). These are the latest in a slew of federal funding threats and cuts from the White House targeting “democrat” states. President Trump spoke about ending billions of dollars in “Democrat” programs as a way to make the government shutdown more painful for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats.
Most other funding distributed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to reimburse states for ongoing highway and bridge projects has continued unabated. US Department of Agriculture workforce has been significantly reduced through furloughs essentially shutting down the Natural Resources Conservation Services technical support activities and approvals of conservation funding.
In related action, a federal judge on Friday night expanded the number of executive branch workers temporarily protected from a potential mass firing and ordered the Trump administration to disclose more details about its planned reductions in force (RIFs). U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Judge Susan Illston also reiterated the intention to keep in place a temporary restraining order she issued Wednesday, which temporarily barred the Trump administration from issuing layoffs of federal workers in unionized offices during the ongoing federal government shutdown or from enforcing any RIF notices already issued.