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East Bay lawmakers to vote no on shutdown deal, skeptical of health care vote
The bipartisan deal to end the government shutdown heads to the House for a vote as early as Wednesday afternoon. President Trump has said he would sign the bill.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The longest U.S. government shutdown in history appeared to be nearing its end Tuesday after the Senate approved a bipartisan deal to reopen the government through Jan. 30. The bill now heads to the House, which could vote as early as Wednesday afternoon.
President Donald Trump celebrated the development during his Veterans Day speech, calling it "a very big victory" for Republicans. "We’re opening up our country. Should have never been closed," he told the crowd.
The agreement excludes a key Democratic demand: an extension of health care tax credits at the center of the stalemate. Seven Senate Democrats and one independent joined Republicans to pass the measure, which funds certain programs, including SNAP, for the rest of the fiscal year.
Rep. Lateefah Simon (D- Oakland) said she will vote against the bill.
"The vote that is coming back to the House of Representatives is a betrayal to the 10,000 federal workers in my district. It is a betrayal to the 240,000 folks who are Medicaid and Medicare eligible in my district, the hungry folks who have been denied SNAP during the shutdown," Simon said. "I refuse to vote yes on any spending package that will take away health care from 17 million Americans - period."
Democrats remain in the minority in the House, and Simon said she is not hopeful the bill can be changed.
The deal includes a promise from GOP leaders to hold a separate vote in December on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, though that pledge is not part of the bill’s language.
"Republicans now own this health care crisis. They knew it was coming. We wanted to fix it. Republicans said no, and now it’s on them," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Schumer has faced backlash from within his own party for not securing the subsidy extension. Critics argue Democrats folded on their core demand.
"There will be a significant poor population in the Bay Area who will lose their medical who qualify right now, most of whom are working or disabled or seniors. And then you’re just going to see your rates go up if you’re in the exchange. So all that’s bad and all of that is going to raise costs for individuals in this country," said Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Dublin)
At the UN COP30 climate conference in Brazil, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was frustrated with the outcome.
"Look, I’m not coming in to punch anybody in the face. But I’m not pleased that in the face of this invasive species that is Donald Trump, who’s completely changed the rules of the game, that we’re still playing by the old rules of the game. And in my core, I’m stunned," he said.
Both Simon and DeSaulnier expect the bill to pass the House, since only a simple majority is needed.
But they said there is uncertainty about whether the promised December vote on health care subsidies will take place.
"I don’t know if they will have that vote at all," Simon said.
DeSaulnier added, "I’m not confident with anything from the Republican majority."