Avert a Government Shutdown

BACKGROUND (sourced here) : 

Every year, Congress must pass and the President must sign budget legislation for the next fiscal year, consisting of 12 appropriations bills, one for each Appropriations subcommittee. Before adjourning for August recess, Congress passed only 1 of the 12 bills for FY 2024. The deadline is September 30th, although Congress could vote for an extension.

Until new funding legislation is passed and signed into law, federal agencies must discontinue all non-essential discretionary functions, known as a “shutdown.” Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan, following guidance released in previous shutdowns and coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The plan identifies which government activities may not continue until appropriations are restored, requiring furloughs and the halting of many agency activities. 

Essential services – many of which are related to public safety – continue to operate and include border protection; in-hospital medical care; air traffic control; law enforcement; and power grid maintenance. Some legislative and judicial staff have also been largely protected. Mandatory spending not subject to annual appropriations, such as for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, also continues. 

However, while Social Security and Medicare benefit checks will be mailed out, benefit verification and card issuance would cease. EPA site inspections, FDA food inspections, and the mailing of SNAP (aka food stamps) could also cease. Air travel could be affected if air traffic controllers do not receive their paychecks.

Once again, extremist GOP lawmakers are taking our country hostage, paving the way for a shutdown:  “The hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus last month vowed to vote against any government funding bill, including a stopgap measure, that doesn’t include a list of GOP policy priorities. (The Hill), ” and has prioritized “a sweeping GOP border bill that has stalled in the Senate; addressing ‘the unprecedented weaponization’ of the Justice Department and the FBI and ending ‘woke’ Defense Department policies.” (Politico) And no blank checks to support Ukraine, along with proceeding with the impeachment of Pres. Biden.

Once again, Rep. Molinaro prevaricates. Though he has published a general statement calling for bi-partisan cooperation during budget negotiations to cut costs while avoiding a shutdown, he has yet to specify what should be cut and what sort of changes to taxation he will support. Because he voted with MAGA leaders last May to hold Americans hostage to a debt default unless Democrats capitulated to their extremist demands, we cannot trust that he will vote to keep the federal government running without the interruption of services millions of people count on. His past performance indicates he will vote the way his benefactor, Kevin McCarthy, tells him to. And McCarthy can’t remain Speaker unless he satisfies the demands of the so-called Freedom Caucus. That Molinaro has stated the 14th Amendment does not disqualify Trump from seeking the presidency, essentially endorsing DT, indicates that he will ultimately side with his MAGA colleagues!

Call or write Rep. Molinaro (NY19) at (202) 225-5441 DC Office or https://molinaro.house.gov/contact/ 

Suggested script (make it your own!):

“Hi, my name is _________ and I’m from  [town]. I am calling to urge Rep. Molinaro to vote against any motion by his extremist Republican colleagues that would result in a government shutdown at the end of this month. This means his not supporting any extremist demand that would ultimately hurt the working families, seniors, and our most vulnerable in NY19. I would like to know exactly what budget adjustments and what sort of changes to taxation he will support, as well as whether he stand with or against his Republican lawmakers who support the impeachment of President Biden.

(Bonus) I’m also deeply disappointed that Rep. Molinaro does not support the use of the 14th Amendment to disqualify Donald Trump from running for office. ”