Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) and Democrats in the state House are facing off as progressives threaten a government shutdown over the governor’s budget that cuts off welfare funds to illegal immigrants.
According to CentralMaine.com, the legislature must have a two-thirds majority in both houses to pass a budget before July 1 or the government will shutdown. Neither party has that much control — Republicans hold a majority in the Senate and Democrats hold the majority in the House– so a compromise must be met.
On Friday, Senate Democrats along with a handful of liberal Republicans voted against the LePage proposal that bans illegal immigrants from the General Assistance program.
LePage has been making the case that money saved from ending welfare to illegal immigrants with be used to fund services for disabled Maine residents.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Democrats have so far refused to cave on welfare for illegal immigrants. Republicans, however, see welfare reform as a critical agenda because they fear will lose their current strong numbers and not have an opportunity to pass such reforms in the future
While some Senate Republicans seem willing to scrap welfare reform to reach a compromise, their counterparts in the House are steadfast on the issue.
“House Republicans continue to remain absolutely steadfast in our priorities, which are income tax reductions and welfare reform. House Republicans are willing to stand for those principles,” said House Minority Leader Ken Fredette to the Portland Press Herald.
The budget being pushed by House Republicans includes a 22.5 percent reduction in the income tax to all income levels and eliminating all welfare benefits for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.
