From border security to social security, local politicians weigh in on looming shutdown

With just hours to go before the Sept. 30 funding deadline to keep the federal government in business, Republican lawmakers are blaming the shutdown on what they say is a crisis at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Democrats are hoping to deal with the shutdown's effects with legislation.

In addition to other proposed cuts in federal spending, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has blamed Democrats and the White House for refusing to entertain Republican-proposed border security provisions and local Republican lawmakers are repeating the accusation.

On Friday, House Democrats and 21 right-wing Republicans voted against a McCarthy-backed stopgap measure that would fund the government for 30 days, but would have cut spending to domestic programs, provided no aid to Ukraine and directed the Department of Homeland Security to move forward with construction of a border wall with Mexico.

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Local Democrats respond to threatened shutdown

As Republican shutdown threats increased, local Democrats have focused on mitigating the effects of a shutdown.

U.S. Rep Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, recently introduced measures to continue funding military and dependent families.

The Pay Our Military Act would ensure pay continues to servicemen and women during a government shutdown, while the Feed Our Families Act would ensure families who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program can continue to access their benefits up to three months after a shutdown occurs.

While those proposals remain pending, Sykes on Friday said she has voted against House Republicans' "extreme funding bills."

“Instead of working across the aisle to avoid a shutdown, extreme politicians are ramming through devastating cuts to vital programs and services like healthcare, food assistance and our national security," she said in a statement. "Our neighbors simply cannot afford these cuts when the cost-of-living is already too high. These extreme, completely irresponsible proposals would only increase costs at a time when families are already struggling to make ends meet."

Sen. Sherrod Brown and other Democratic senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would secure back pay for tens of thousands of federal contract workers who face layoffs or work without back pay during a government shutdown.

In a statement, Brown said those workers have no assurances that they will receive back pay to make up for the wages they miss during a shutdown. The legislation would ensure back pay for workers including 10,000 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, and more than 1,700 contractors at NASA Glenn in Cleveland and Sandusky.

“Government shutdowns hurt Ohioans, including thousands of government contract workers in Ohio who are forced to go without their paychecks, and often don’t get back pay,” Brown said. “This bill would make sure these workers get the wages they earned, because Ohio workers should not be forced to pay the price for Washington politicians’ political games.”

Ohio Republicans weigh in on looming shutdown

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, who chairs the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, said Wednesday on X that he opposes a shutdown.

"If we allow a government shutdown, we are putting Americans at risk and failing to keep a promise we made to our constituents less than a year ago," he said.

However, he also pushed for passage of a homeland security appropriations bill that he said provides funding "to build the wall, increase the number of Border Patrol agents, and bolster border technology," adding the measure "forces the Biden Administration to finally address the border security crisis."

HR 4367, the Fiscal Year 2024 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, was approved by the House 220-208 on Thursday by a party-line vote.

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U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance last week blamed the looming shutdown on what he said are Democratic demands for support of Ukraine in its war with Russia.

"If you sort of set this against the backdrop of the government shutdown fight, this guy (Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky) is basically coming and saying if you don’t give me my $25 billion, I’m going to shut down your government," Vance stated. "That’s exactly what he’s doing because Chuck Schumer will not fund the government unless it includes money for Ukraine.

"So the Democrats are really setting up a fight here where, do we continue to pay our Border Patrol agents or do we pay the $25 billion to Ukraine? It’s crazy to me that they’ve gotten themselves into this political place, but of course they have.”

U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Rocky River, on Thursday introduced a bill that would restrict members of Congress from campaigning for office or receiving pay during a shutdown.

"If our troops are not paid and the government is not able to deliver all the services taxpayers paid for, then members of Congress should not be able to do anything other than their job to find a solution," he said.

Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Government shutdown: Akron OH politicians take stands, deadline nears