WASHINGTON, D.C.(HubCityRadio)- At midnight(11PM Central Time) the South Dakota Senate was unable to fund government which led to a government shutdown for the first time since December 2018. Here are reactions we’re seeing from that.
Senator Majority Leader John Thune wants the process to go back to what it has been in the past.
Congressman Dusty Johnson released the following statement:
“I’ve said it thousands of times – shutdowns are stupid. The House has done its work to avoid a shutdown, and I voted to keep the government open. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats voted to shut the government down, putting the American worker’s paychecks at risk. Instead, Democrats want $1.5 trillion of new, unnecessary spending to continue COVID-era health care subsidies for illegal immigrants and rich Americans.
I will not receive a paycheck during a shutdown, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop working to find a solution. I’ve even introduced the Eliminate Shutdowns Act to prevent shutdowns from ever happening again. Shutdowns are costly and do not serve the American people.”
Governor Larry Rhoden on X(formerly Twitter):
In the short-term, South Dakota is prepared to handle this federal shutdown with minimal impact. National Parks (including Mount Rushmore) will remain open. The vast majority of government programs will not see any change — for now. It’s time for Senate Democrats to do their job and stop playing politics. South Dakotans want common sense government, not taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants.”
South Dakota Democrats released the following:
“This shut down of the federal government is solely on Republicans, especially Senate Majority Leader Thune. Democrats offered a package that would have kept healthcare affordable for millions of Americans, but the GOP refused to negotiate. Now, nearly 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed while others are working without pay. This shutdown was completely avoidable if Republicans had done their jobs and worked across the aisle to find compromises with Democrats.
- About 11,500 South Dakotans work for the federal government. Not only will many of them not receive a paycheck, President Trump has also said he wants to cut their positions.
- 53,000 South Dakotans rely on the ACA premium tax credits to afford health care. The program ends this year and must be extended now before insurers release their rates.
- A quarter of farmers receive their health insurance through the ACA Marketplace.
- If the tax credits aren’t extended, South Dakotans will have to pay double the price for their monthly premiums.”
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