(WBRE/WYOU) — The federal government will officially be shutting down starting at 12:00 a.m. On Tuesday, 28/22 News got both sides of the debate, including the plea from a local congressman.
Since Senate Democrats and Republicans have failed to reach an agreement on a bill to extend current federal funding levels, the government is now facing a shutdown.
Just after 8:00 p.m., Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed a government shutdown is unavoidable.
The news comes after the Senate failed to get a three-fifths vote on a GOP-backed bill, known as a continuing resolution.
Senator Fetterman issues statement as federal government heads for shutdown
The bill would have extended current federal spending for seven weeks, but required a bipartisan agreement to pass. Without that agreement, federal employees and services are now stuck in limbo.
"Shutting down the government isn't the answer, nobody is a winner here. Our national parks, our IRS service casework, there's gonna be limited availability and bandwidth inside of these offices," Republican Congressman Rob Bresnahan explained.
"Right now it's like you're running the risk of plunging our nation into chaos," Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman stated.
Roughly 750,000 federal employees now face the potential for furloughs and even layoffs.
That includes national park workers at Scranton's Steamtown National Historic Site and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, as well as TSA and FAA employees at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
28/22 News tried to get comments from both the National Park Service and the airport, but neither issued a response in time for this story.
Senator Fetterman issued the following statement Tuesday evening:
It’s a sad day for our nation.
Our government shuts down at midnight.
I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government.
My vote was for our country over my party.
Together, we must find a better way forward.
The stalemate between Senate Democrats and Republicans stems mainly from disagreements over healthcare.
Republicans seek to continue current funding levels for seven weeks to avoid a shutdown, while democrats want to extend health insurance subsidies to prevent their expiration.
Congressman Rob Bresnahan says lawmakers on both sides should be focused on keeping the government open.
"That's ultimately our job is to legislate and to govern, and all of the policy issues, there's a place and a time to have these conversations, but it's not with the doors locked and closed," Congressman Bresnahan explained.
Until an agreement can be reached, those doors, it seems, will remain closed.
The Senate is scheduled to meet again on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., but with the most recent vote failing in a 55-45 vote, five senators will need to change their minds for the bill to pass.
