President Obama will meet with Congressional leaders Wednesday evening, per his invitation, to discuss the ongoing government shutdown. Expected to attend the closed-door event are the major players in both the Senate and the House of Representatives responsible for the perpetual volleying of budgetary legislation.
The House attempted to pass a piecemeal plan through both chambers late last night in an attempt to keep certain portions of the government funded, including national parks, monuments and aspects of the Department of Veteran Affairs to no avail.
Holding sturdy, though, was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s left-controlled Senate, which will only pass a bill that strips any language calling for the defunding of the Affordable Care Act while reestablishing government funding through at least October so that it doesn’t default on its federal loans.
According to Politico, “Reid, House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi” are all expected to attend tonight’s bipartisan gathering where hopefully some kind of compromise can be struck. The meeting is to take place at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Says a spokesperson for Speaker Boehner: “We’re pleased the president finally recognizes that his refusal to negotiate is indefensible. It’s unclear why we’d be having this meeting if it’s not meant to be a start to serious talks between the two parties.”
Already the indefinite shutdown has put approximately 800,000 federal employees on furlough until further notice, while some deemed essential will work without pay even retroactively.
On top of those out of work for the time being, affects of the shutdown can be felt nationwide, especially in major metropolitan regions like that of Greater Boston. A city like Massachusetts’ capital, so historically significant to the founding of our country and its day-to-day operations, is littered with federally-funded services, agencies and monuments many of which, to the chagrin of tourists both foreign and domestic, are unaccessible.
Stay tuned to BostInno for the latest regarding the government shutdown and the possibility of a resolution ending it. We’ll be sure to keep you updated accordingly as more information continues to be made publicly available.
