As the U.S. federal government shutdown started, Indiana leaders from opposite sides of the aisle had different opinions on who was to blame.
“This shutdown will be the result of the Republican Majority’s inability to govern, and because they are unable to agree among themselves and unwilling to compromise with Democrats,” Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, said in a Tuesday afternoon statement. “Their dysfunction will harm our economy and hardworking Americans, who do not have the luxury of simply walking away from their jobs.”
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, had a different perspective on the shutdown.
“Democrats are demanding $1.5 trillion for health care for illegal immigrants, Biden-era COVID subsidies, and climate projects in Honduras,” Banks said in a Wednesday afternoon statement. “Republicans are ready to end this shutdown today.”
A shutdown ensued after federal lawmakers deadlocked and missed a deadline for funding the government, according to the Associated Press.
The outlet reported that Republicans supported a short-term measure to fund the government at its current levels through Nov. 21, but it was blocked by Democrats, who have concerns about health care.
“(Democrats) want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump’s package of tax breaks and spending reductions from the summer and they want to extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable for the millions of people who want to purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act,” according to the Associated Press. “Republicans have called the Democratic proposal a nonstarter that would cost taxpayers more than $1 trillion.”
On Wednesday, the Senate held a vote that could end the government shutdown, but it failed as Democrats and Republicans were unable to compromise.
This is the third time Trump has presided over a federal funding lapse, according to the Associated Press. The shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and is the first lapse in funding in almost seven years, according to a news release from Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana.
“The overwhelming majority of Americans do not want a government shutdown,” Young said. “I have repeatedly voted for a clean funding bill that would keep the federal government open and the Senate to continue debating other issues. I urge Senate Democrats to abandon this manufactured crisis and vote to reopen the government.”
In a series of X posts, Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, expressed his disdain for the shutdown, including one with a poll from the New York Times that said 65% of respondents believe Democrats should not shut down the government if demands aren’t met.
Young also posted at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday that he is “still working and available to Hoosiers.” At about 10 a.m., Young posted an audio recording of him on The Julie Mason Show talking against the shutdown.
“The overwhelming majority of Americans don’t want a government shutdown,” his post said. “I know Hoosiers don’t.”
In his Tuesday afternoon statement, Mrvan said he’s prepared to have bipartisan conversations to keep the government open, expand health care access and strengthen communities.
“The American people deserve stability and certainty, and a commitment from public servants to find bipartisan solutions,” Mrvan said. “I encourage Speaker Johnson to call the House back into session so we can complete this necessary work.”
About 750,000 employees are expected to be furloughed, according to the Associated Press, including about two-thirds of National Park Service employees. According to the Associated Press, a National Park Service plan says “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.”
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The National Park Service was unable to immediately comment Wednesday on the impact at Indiana Dunes National Park.
Indiana public radio and television stations were also expected to no longer receive federal funding as a result of the shutdown, the Indianapolis Star reported. Lakeshore Public Media — which, in August, announced a $1 million shortfall because of lost federal and state funding — was unable to immediately comment on the shutdown’s impacts.
The Environmental Protection Network, an organization composed of former Environmental Protection Agency officials, expressed concerns for protections for American families in a Tuesday afternoon news release.
Marc Boom, former EPA senior advisor on policy and EPN senior advisor, said EPA protections have been disappearing “piece by piece” since Trump’s inauguration.
“The administration is dismantling EPA from within,” Boom said in the release. “Without Congressional action, Americans can count on more kids with asthma, more families exposed to toxic chemicals, more neighborhoods living near sites that go uncleaned. A shutdown will be a preview of what life will look like if Congress doesn’t step up, reassert its role, and give EPA the staffing and resources it needs.”
The Associated Press contributed.