Washington, DC [US], October 25 : Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, on Friday expressed concern over the US government shutdown, which is entering its fourth week, with no end in sight.
Hassett appealed to employees, suggesting credit union loans as a temporary solution, as 750,000 employees are working without paychecks, sparking concerns about their financial stability.
Amid a political stalemate, the Republicans want to reopen the government, citing Speaker Johnson's bill.
"We 100% want the government open. We agree with Speaker Johnson, who has passed a bill to reopen the government. We are really appealing to the 750,000 federal employees who aren't getting their paychecks. We would urge people to call their supervisors, because there are options available, like credit union loans, which offer zero interest to people in this situation. But the situation is really unacceptable to us, and it's because Schumer has decided to shut down the government. And I remind everybody that in the previous administration, when President Biden was here, that 13 times Republican senators voted to keep the government open because they understood that that's their constitutional duty to be a moderating force in this country," he said.
Democrats accuse Republicans of holding healthcare hostage, refusing to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats refuse to reopen without addressing healthcare subsidies and paying furloughed workers, and they blocked a Republican-led bill to pay essential workers, as per CNN.
Moreover, staffing shortages among air traffic controllers have reached over 200, potentially disrupting holiday travel, according to CNN.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock explained on Friday that his vote in favour of the Republicans' bill to continue paychecks for some federal employees working through the shutdown was because he didn't want to see workers punished.
"I think that the Republicans are tragically holding the American people who need health care hostage. They're holding federal workers hostage, and just because they've decided to shut down the government doesn't mean that these workers ought to be punished," the Georgia Democrat said. "And so some of these folks that they're holding hostage had a path to get some relief, I'm happy to offer that to them. Meanwhile, I'm fighting for health care," as quoted by CNN.
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