Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged his Democratic colleagues in the Senate to recognize that the government shutdown “is hurting them and the country” and to bring it to an end.
“I think [the shutdown] will end when enough Democrats see what they are doing to the country,” Graham said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends Monday. “This is not a good time to have the government shut down with the world as dangerous as it is right now. So I’m hoping that a group of Democrats will see that the best way to get a solution on healthcare is not to shut down the government, [but] is to talk to Republicans with the government open.”
Monday marks the 27th day of the government shutdown, as the Senate has been unable to pass a vote on a continuing resolution that would fund the government. As of Monday, 12 votes have proven unsuccessful.
Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), seek to extend enhanced Obamacare tax credits that expire at the end of the year. Two senators have broken ranks and voted with Republicans.
The premium tax credits initially drafted under the Affordable Care Act were enhanced under the Biden administration amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A Congressional Budget Office report said that permanently extending the enhanced credits would cost the government $383 billion. However, if they permanently expire, the number of citizens without health insurance would rise by an average of 3.8 million annually by 2034.
“I hope there is a breakaway, there’s a group of senators on the Democratic side who will see this is hurting them, hurting the country,” Graham added.
THUNE’S CHILLY RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHUMER IN DEEP FREEZE THANKS TO SHUTDOWN
Graham went on to suggest that members of Congress “forfeit our pay” during government shutdowns. Representatives and senators are promised their salaries even during government shutdowns per the Constitution. His proposal that they should lose a month’s pay for every week the government is shut down would require a constitutional amendment.
There are several votes scheduled for Monday, but they do not include federal government funding.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story said 11 votes on the continuing resolution had failed as of Monday. This story has been updated to say 12 votes. The Washington Examiner regrets the error.
