Braun predicting long shutdown
(NETWORK INDIANA) Indiana’s newest senator says the government shutdown could be a long one.
President Trump says he’s prepared to keep the shutdown going for months or years. Republican Senator Mike Braun says the fact Congress did pass some spending bills on time makes the stalemate harder to break, because people don’t feel the impact. The Pentagon and five other Cabinet departments are fully funded through the end of the fiscal year, and tasks classified as “essential” are allowed to continue even without funding. Braun says that means only about 10-percent of the federal budget is affected.
800-thousand federal employees aren’t getting paid during the shutdown, but there hadn’t been a missed payday until Friday. And the closure of agencies has been staggered, as some departments were able to run through reserves before closing their doors. If the shutdown drags on, though, it could delay tax refunds and food stamps.
Braun has supported the wall, and says there are spots on the border where it’s clearly the best approach. But he says the symbolism of the wall makes it hard for either side to compromise without being seen as caving in. He says opponents view the wall as a “stigma,” while supporters see it as a declaration that the government has failed to take border security seriously before, and finally is.
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Bucshon voted against House Spending Bill
(NETWORK INDIANA) House Democrats passed a spending bill that would have ended the government shutdown Thursday night, but it was killed the moment it reached the Senate, where Republicans are in control.
New House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says they will not give President Trump the 5-billion he wants for a border wall.
Indiana’s Republican Congressman Larry Buschon (R-IN-08) voted against the bill saying without the border wall money the shutdown will continue.
“The president has been very clear that securing the border, which includes sufficient funding for a border wall, is a non-negotiable priority,” Buschon said. “The Democrats put up a show vote. It’s a bill that President Trump won’t sign and it’s a bill that Senator McConnell won’t bring up (in the Senate).
“Democrats want to put up show votes. I understand that, but the fact of the matter is their refusal to listen to fact and put money to secure the border and defined the country is the reason why I voted against it and it’s the reason the shutdown continues.”
Buschon said in spite of the current stalemate he is confident Republicans and Democrats can find common ground, even insofar as coming up short on the President’s demand for $5 billion for a border wall. However, Buschon said at least some money specifically for the construction of a wall is a must.
