By John L. Micek | jmicek@masslive.com
With a federal government shutdown moving from an “if” to a likely “when” with every passing hour, Bay State lawmakers on Capitol Hill are bracing for a fight.
And they’re ready to lay the blame at the feet of Republicans who control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
“Republicans would rather shut down the government than make your health care more affordable,” U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., fumed in a video posted to X, offering a preview of Democratic attack lines.
U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-5th District, offered a similar sentiment in a post to X.
“Let’s be clear on where things stand: The GOP is telling you they would rather shut down the government than protect your health care,” Clark, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said.
Why?
Democrats are still seething over Medicaid reductions and the tax cuts included in the domestic policy mega-bill that Republicans narrowly passed, and President Donald Trump signed, last July
They’ve made the reversal of those cuts and the restoration of public safety grants conditional for their support, according to Politico.
And it’s not just empty rhetoric. Republicans in the Senate will need 10 Democratic votes to duck a filibuster and pass a stopgap spending bill, the news outlet reported.
Meanwhile, a new group on Capitol Hill, Majority Democrats, which is helmed by U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District, has its own shopping list.
It includes scrapping tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans with a “tax cut for the 99% of America,” according to Axios.
“Instead of simply going along, Democrats need to fight for a budget that puts money and power where it belongs: with YOU,” the group’s leaders said in a statement first shared with Axios.
The Trump White House expects a shutdown as soon as Wednesday and has no plans to negotiate with Democrats to avert it, Politico reported.
“We’re going to extract maximum pain,” a senior administration official, granted anonymity to discuss political strategy, told the news outlet, adding that Democrats “will pay a huge price for this.”
The White House is also prepping for mass firings if lawmakers can’t get a funding deal before the end of the current fiscal year on Oct. 1
A memo drafted by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and obtained by Politico orders agencies to look for programs whose funds will run out if Congress does not provide funding for the federal government by Sept. 30.
The identified programs should be targeted for large reductions, which could force the permanent loss of jobs that the office deems “not consistent” with Trump’s priorities, according to the memo.
In a post to X, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., blasted the White House for its hardline tactics, and for pulling the plug on a negotiating session with Democrats this week.
“It’s been 24 hours since Trump canceled his budget meeting with Democrats. Why? Because Democrats want to restore health care access and lower costs for millions of Americans,” Markey wrote. “Trump would rather protect billionaire tax cuts and shut down the government.”
Ditto for Rep. James P. McGovern, D-2nd District, who took direct aim at White House budget boss Russell Vought, resharing a post from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
“Listen Russ, you are a malignant political hack,” Jeffries said. “We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. Get lost.”
The Central Massachusetts lawmaker amplified the sentiment with a post of his own.
“Republicans control the House, Senate, and the Oval Office. They already nuked the filibuster in the Senate to move forward with Trump’s unqualified nominees, McGovern wrote.
“Now the question is will they allow millions of Americans to lose their healthcare and see premiums skyrocket–or will they work with Democrats to keep the government open and avert a healthcare catastrophe,“ he continued. ”They are in charge. It is their choice.”
In a post to X, U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-8th District, one of the top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, explained why this budget fight differs from past standoffs.
Majority Republicans have been “unwilling or unable” to pass a spending plan, and have only passed “a handful” of the appropriations bills “that make that happen,” Lynch explained.
“So we’re stuck because of their inactivity and inability to get to an agreement,” the South Boston lawmaker said.
And that has an impact at home, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-1st District, said.
“Whether it be an increase in health insurance premiums, a cut to SNAP or WIC benefits, or being furloughed from their jobs, thousands of MA-01 residents will be impacted by a Republican shutdown,” Neal, the top Democrat on the budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee, posted to X.
“Republicans had no problem permanently extending tax cuts earlier this year for the wealthiest among us,” the Springfield lawmaker continued. “Now, as millions of Americans are about to pay the price, Democrats are left waiting for a Republican Party that is willing to come to the table and do the work the American people elected them to do.”
