Hours before an anticipated federal government shutdown, there was partisan finger-pointing going back and forth. And New York representatives were among those trading blame.
Democrats insist any federal spending agreement must include the continuation of a healthcare tax credit for Americans who buy their health insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act. That credit is set to expire at the end of the year.
Buffalo congressman Timothy Kennedy suggests he and fellow Democrats are ready to vote on a deal to keep funding the federal government, but not if it involves further healthcare cuts.
“Congressional Republicans have already made the largest cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in American history,” he said in a video message. “Now they're threatening to hike your premiums and strip health insurance away from working families, and we're not going to let that happen.”
Kennedy says Republicans control the White House, House and Senate, and thus a federal shutdown is on them.
“Trump and congressional Republicans are holding the government hostage with a bad, hyper partisan funding bill that exacerbates the health care crisis that they've created,” Kennedy said. “Democrats are here, ready to negotiate on behalf of the American people that keep the government open, cancel the cuts, protect health care and lower the costs for the hard working people in our community.”
Meanwhile, Republican federal lawmakers say it’s Democrats who are to blame for the standoff.
Republican Elise Stefanik, whose congressional district covers Upstate New York including North Country, issued a written statement putting the blame on Democrats: “Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently voted to fund the government and opposed government shutdowns. At the end of this month, I voted for a clean, bipartisan bill to keep the government open, continue our appropriations work, protect pay for our troops, and ensure essential services for the American people continue. In fact, it's the same bill that Democrats previously voted for just months ago!
“The disgraceful reality is that Democrats are forcing a shutdown by voting NO on government funding because Chuck Schumer got absolutely walloped earlier this year by the radical Far Left because he voted to fund the government. Once again, New York Democrats, cheered on by Kathy Hochul, are putting hardworking New Yorkers and Americans LAST because they are forcing a government shutdown by concocting an unrelated policy issue that doesn't even come up legislatively until the end of the year.
“Until Democrats end their hypocritical and damaging shutdown hurting American families and workers, I have directed that my pay be withheld and have cosponsored legislation to ensure our servicemembers and law enforcement receive their pay. Democrats own this shutdown lock, stock, and barrel.”