“Instead of passing that bill, Senate Democrats have forced this shutdown,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton.
Most Democrats pointed the finger back at Republicans, demanding that the GOP repeal changes in Medicaid approved earlier this year as part of President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Democrats also want the GOP to agree to the renewal of health insurance subsidies slated to expire on Jan. 1, 2026.
“Twenty-two million Americans depend on the Affordable Care Act subsidies to help pay for their health care,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati (whose district includes Warren County).
“If we don’t act now, millions of those people will lose health care.”
Some GOP senators have said they are open to talks on the health subsidies question — but they want Democrats to first vote to reopen the federal government.
That hasn’t happened yet, as Senate Democrats have used the filibuster three times already to block a House-passed, seven-week funding measure, leaving the government out of cash.
While Democrats have focused on health care, Republicans have accused them of trying to use the impasse to give health care to illegal immigrants.
“This has been on Democrats’ agenda for years,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville.
“Democrats are choosing health care for illegal aliens over paying American troops,” added U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Rocky River.
While the Senate could work into the weekend, no votes were scheduled in the House — as most House Republicans haven’t been on Capitol Hill again this week.
The House hasn’t held votes since Sept. 19, when Republicans approved a stopgap funding bill which would run until almost Thanksgiving.
That measure has now been blocked three times on the Senate floor in a filibuster led by Democrats.
“It’s past time for Democrats to join us in voting to reopen the government,” said Ohio’s Sen. Jon Husted, as more votes are expected on Friday.
“This is no way to run the federal government,” fumed Sen. Bernie Moreno, who ripped Democrats at a U.S. Capitol news conference with fellow GOP Senators. “This is just stupid.”
Congressional pay
One irony of a government shutdown is that while members of the military and regular federal workers don’t get paid, lawmakers in Congress continue to draw their salaries. That led Moreno to propose a bill to stop lawmakers’ pay during the shutdown.
“If Congress can’t do the bare minimum, we don’t deserve a paycheck” Moreno said.
Husted expressed support for such a proposal, saying “There must be consequences when we fail to do our jobs. While military personnel, air traffic controllers and other federal employees are being asked to work without pay, it’s only right that members of Congress don’t keep collecting a paycheck.”
But any such plan to block the pay of members of Congress could run afoul of the 27th Amendment, which was enacted partly because of a drive by John Boehner, the former Republican speaker of the House from the Miami Valley.
That amendment to the Constitution prohibits any change in pay — whether a pay raise or a pay cut for members of Congress — until there has been a new election.
“No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened,” the text states.
The last shutdown in 2018-2019 lasted 35 days, when Trump tried to get Congress to give him more money for a border wall. Trump finally gave up, getting nothing in return from lawmakers on border security.
“The only way to reopen government is through bipartisan compromise,” said U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, the dean of the Ohio delegation.
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