This is now the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. Today is the 36th day of the shutdown, eclipsing the old record of 35 days that started at the end of 2018 and continued into the beginning of 2019, in the middle of Donald Trump’s first presidency. ULM political science professor Joshua Stockley says the shutdown is over one single issue – healthcare subsidies – and what’s frustrating is that neither party is willing to negotiate.
“The Republican Party is refusing to extend the subsidies. The Democratic Party is refusing to listen to anything that doesn’t involve a subsidy extension,” Stockley explained.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has halted business in the House until the shutdown is over. Stockley says that is not a barrier in ending the shutdown.
“The issue is, for all intents and purposes, in the Senate. That’s the body that’s going to create the compromise that is room for a compromise,” Stockley said.
Stockley says the two parties digging in and refusing to budge from their positions is not how this whole thing is supposed to work.
“It was not built to operate under the assumption that one party would ram everything into law in this country. That’s not the way it was built. That’s not the way it should be,” Stockley said.
