Government shutdown deadline loomes; Wisconsin residents brace for impact

Likely government shutdown starts at midnight

Lawmakers remain deadlocked ahead of a midnight deadline, with Republicans seeking a stopgap bill and Democrats pushing to extend health care subsidies.

MILWAUKEE - The federal government is hours away from a shutdown as lawmakers remain deadlocked over a temporary funding bill.

What we know:

Republicans want to pass a seven-week extension to keep the government running at current spending levels. But Democrats are holding out for health care subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.

There is no word from FEMA regarding whether it will stop working on claims for Wisconsin’s historic August flooding. Those who get Medicare or social security will still have checks coming.

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But it is possible the federal government will not process new applications.

Essential workers – including the military, FBI and TSA agents – would continue to report for duty. But national parks and other agencies would see cutbacks, and about 750,000 federal employees would be furloughed.

Local perspective:

The uncertainty has Wisconsin residents like retired La Crosse resident Kate Bausch on edge.

"I can't tell you how unbearable it's been to not know if we're going to have healthcare next year or what it's going to cost," she said.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, about 26,000 people in U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil’s (R-WI) district receive the tax credits. It’s estimated that a 60-year-old couple earning $82,000 could see their monthly silver plan premium jump from $581 to nearly $1,959.

What they're saying:

Republicans insist health care negotiations can wait.

"That occurs at the end of the year," Steil said. "It’s absolutely worthy of us to have this conversation and discussion. We should do that while the federal government is open and operational."

Democrats argue it cannot wait.

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"This whole idea of a shutdown is totally avoidable," said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). "If Republicans refuse to see what is right in front of them, then a shutdown is on them."

President Donald Trump warned some may not have a job when the government reopened.

The House has already passed a stopgap bill, but Senate Democrats are refusing to back it without the health care subsidies. The last government shutdown stretched from December 2018 to January 2019, lasting five weeks.