IN Focus: Senator Braun and Party Leaders Discuss Debt Ceiling, Potential Closure, and Redistribution Battle

INDIANAPOLIS – Thousands of federal workers, including some Hoosiers, could be put on leave this week if Congress cannot reach agreement on a new government funding program.

If a new government funding plan is not approved by the end of the month, the government would shut down on October 1. This would leave thousands of federal employees – including many people here in Indiana – out of work or forced to work without pay.

But unlike previous debates on public financing, this one comes as the United States faces a deadline to raise the debt ceiling or default on its loans.

With less than a week to go before the potential government shutdown, the Office of Management and Budget began to notify federal agencies of the expected impact.

The last government shutdown – almost three years ago – lasted 35 days and affected approximately 800,000 federal workers.

“The latest shutdown was absolutely horrific,” said Duncan Giles, who heads the Indiana section of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents about 350 IRS employees across the state.

Giles said he and his members are reaching out to lawmakers, urging them to work together on a deal to keep government open.

“We have a huge number of people who live paycheck to paycheck,” said Giles, adding that “it’s scary for me and the others watching this to wait until the last minute and have to -being concerned about the impact on our people.

Recently, the House passed a pro-party bill that funds the government until December 3 and increases the debt ceiling.

Republicans have said they will not support an increase in the debt ceiling, leaving Senate Democrats to try to find a way to raise the debt ceiling on their own.

“Everyone is starting to worry a bit about how much we are borrowing, and now is a good time to take a break and not keep raising the debt ceiling,” said Senator Mike Braun (R- Indiana) in an interview. Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Sen. Todd Young said he supports a Republican-backed plan to fund the government until Dec. 3, but not to raise the debt ceiling.

If Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling, the US government could default in mid-October. Experts warn that this could lead to serious economic consequences, including a potential recession.

“It could have catastrophic impacts, quite frankly,” said Laura Wilson, associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis.

“People don’t often like to think about the debt ceiling, but it is a major issue that Congress is addressing and something that we really need to be aware of as voters and voters,” she added. .

If the government closed its doors, federal workers would receive back wages once the government reopened.

The latest stalemate in Washington comes amid the ongoing pandemic, as the Biden administration and the CDC finalize plans to roll out booster shots to millions of Americans.

In the video above, we also hear from the Indiana party leaders and the White House immunization coordinator for the latest news on recalls and the ongoing regulatory process for kids ages 5 to 11 to get fit. vaccinate.