SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — As lawmakers in Washington D.C. continue to battle over the nation’s budget, some do not foresee a deal coming together anytime soon. CBS 8 spoke with California Congressmembers ahead of the possible shutdown to discuss what lead to this moment and what impact it might have.
Mike Levin of California's 49th Congressional District said he's frustrated by Congress' inability to pass a budget for the new fiscal year.
"Well, this is a mess," Levin said.
The U.S. government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning if Congressional leaders do not come to an agreement on a budget by midnight Saturday, putting millions of federal workers and programs at risk.
“Yes, it's inevitable at this point, because Kevin McCarthy has decided to embolden the most extreme members of his own party, at the expense of the American people,” Levin said.
On Friday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed a spending bill known as a continuing resolution that would have kept the government afloat for the next 30 days. But 21 far-right Republicans, none of whom represent San Diego, blocked it from passing. Following the failed vote, McCarthy was flanked by reporters asking what his plan is moving forward.
"Keep working and make sure we solve this problem," McCarthy said.
McCarthy has been widely criticized for failing to unite his own party.
CBS8 spoke with Sara Jacobs of California's 51st Congressional District on Thursday, who said she fears what the impact the government shutdown will have.
“This will have devastating consequences, particularly for those in our community that are already struggling to get by,” Jacobs.
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed during a shutdown, and millions more like military personnel and TSA screeners will have to work without pay. Additionally, food assistance programs such as WIC and SNAP won't be funded, and childcare grants which pay for programs such as Head Start will come to a halt.
The last government shutdown was back in Dec. 2018. It was the longest shutdown in four decades, lasting 35 days.
Levin said this shutdown is preventable.
“The mood is frustration, because Kevin McCarthy could solve this today, if you were willing to work across the aisle. And frankly, if he were willing to work with the vast majority of members of his own party, and not embolden and empower the extreme far right. But he won't do it because he wants to hold on to his gavel for just a little bit longer while the American people suffer the consequences. It's reprehensible,” Levin said.
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