HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Wednesday marked the 22nd day of the government shutdown. The Senate once again failed to pass a bill that would end the shutdown, falling short by just six votes.
News 19 spoke with Alabama Senator Katie Britt on Wednesday afternoon. She said it’s time for both republicans and democrats to come together.
“The proper thing to do for the American people is to put politics aside and actually allow the government to function,” Sen. Britt said.
She said it’s time to reopen the government, because people are hurting.
“People are not getting paychecks, we are about to run out of benefits in a number of areas, and there are real consequences to real people,” she said.
The Senate stalemate is linked to the Affordable Care Act and health care subsidies, which democrats want to extend, and republicans don’t.
Senator Britt blames the situation on democrats.
“This is a democrat created program, with a democrat created subsidy, with a democrat created expansion, with a democrat created extension, with a democrat created date,” Britt said.
Britt told News 19 that she wants to vote to reopen the government and then tackle issues related to health care subsidies.
“I think there are a lot of questions that need to be answered about how this thing is framed up, and that doesn’t happen overnight,” she said.
She then doubled down on democrats, dragging on the shutdown.
“This is absolutely political theater,” Britt said, taking aim at Senate Minority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer.
“Go look at Chuck Schumer’s political poll numbers, they were like terrible,” she said. “So he’s trying to figure out how in the world to save his own political future, and he’s doing it at the cost of the American people.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Schumer is calling on President Donald Trump for a meeting to discuss health care issues.
“President Trump has an obligation to negotiate with us and solve this problem,” Schumer said.
The President said he will only meet with democratic leaders once the government reopens.
Wednesday, the Senate voted 54 to 46 on a House-passed bill to fund the government through November 21. Republicans came up short of the 60 votes needed to pass the bill by just six votes.
Both of Alabama’s Senators, Sen. Katie Britt and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, voted in favor of the bill.
The Senate could vote again as soon as Thursday.
News 19 reached out to Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s office for comment on the shutdown and today’s vote, but at this time, we haven’t heard back.
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