5 Days Until a Possible Government Shutdown: What You Need to Know

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5 days until a possible government shutdown

Hi all,

With the ongoing budget fight and potential government shutdown on the horizon, we wanted to make sure you have the resources you need to be as prepared as possible. 

First, let’s be clear: it’s likely that we will have a shutdown on October 1st and we don’t know how long it will last. When there’s a shutdown, federal workers are furloughed or forced to work without pay. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits should continue; however there might be delays in response time because of staff shortages. A host of other programs and services could be substantially interrupted or halted. For more information, please reference PWN’s September 2023 MPU and the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center’s shutdown explainer.

Second, folks are preparing: For the most up to date information, join the Save HIV Funding call on Tuesday, September 30 at 12pm ET/11am CT/10am MT/9am PT. It’s a space to talk about what’s going on, organizing opportunities, and to ask questions.

Generally, Congress must pass a budget agreed upon by both the House and the Senate by the end of the fiscal year, September 30. Right now, the House and Senate funding proposals are wildly different. The House bill is devastating, cutting almost $2 billion dollars in federal HIV prevention and care programs. The Senate version, on the other hand, essentially flat funds (no significant increase or decrease) most of the HIV programs.  If the House and Senate cannot come to a funding agreement – and it looks like they won’t – Congress must pass a continuing resolution (CR) which “kicks the can down the road” to keep the government funded in the interim. Otherwise, the government shuts down on October 1.

The continuing resolution fight boils down to healthcare. If you remember, Trump’s Big Ugly Murder Bill allows the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credit to expire, which would cause 24 million people’s insurance premiums to skyrocket by 93%, on average. Senate Democrats are fighting to avoid that harm by making the premium tax credits permanent (and restoring some of the other cuts in the Big Ugly Murder Bill) in CR negotiations. Congressional Republicans by and large don’t agree, and instead have proposed to extend government funding until November 21, 2025. At a minimum, any funding bill, including a CR, must protect healthcare, including extending the enhanced premium tax credit, and protect Congressionally-approved funds from the Trump regime’s attacks. (Learn more about how the Trump regime has stolen funds from our communities through impoundment and rescissions here.)

Any concerns or fears on how long a government shutdown may last and its impact on your personal life are totally understandable.  And, the fact that we’ve reached this point shows that Democrats are trying to hold the line in the fight for healthcare. Republicans are relying on Democrats being outnumbered to assert their power over the budget process through coercion and fear mongering. We know that there’s also power through collaborations and relationships. The budget process is where we can show collective power and resistance. Now is the time to join together and fight back for our communities.

Our healthcare is non-negotiable. It’s time for Congress to demand healthcare for our communities; fully fund HIV programs; and defend human rights! 

1. Join Save HIV Funding call on Tuesday, September 30 at 12pm ET/11am CT/10am MT/9am PT to learn more about the shutdown. Register here: bit.ly/shf-signup. 

2. Here are some additional actions you can take: 

   1. Call to Protect HIV Prevention, Care, Housing, and Research.

   2. Email to tell Congress to reject the deadly $2 Billion in cuts to HIV Programs and protect Enhanced Premium Tax Credits.