KINGSTON, N.Y. – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro said Tuesday that he is working closely with Republican colleagues to come up with a plan to avoid a government shutdown.
U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan said he knows of a plan that would do just that.
Molinaro, R-Catskill, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that he was committed to working out a plan with U.S. House of Representative members.
Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District.
“I have lived through it as a local official and I am certainly doing everything in my power to help push my colleagues toward avoiding one,” Molinaro said. “I have been heavily involved in intensive conversation to mold a consensus with the Republican majority to present a budget proposal that reigns in federal spending, meets the needs and respects taxpayers, and secures the border.”
“I think we are inching closer to that and every effort is being made to avoid a government shutdown,” Molinaro said. “I am committed to exerting every ounce of my being to help my colleagues understand that we ought to avert a shutdown.”
A government shutdown, set to take place at the end of the week if no deal is worked out, would disrupt the U.S. economy and the lives of millions of Americans who work for the government or rely on federal services — from air traffic controllers who would be asked to work without pay to some seven million people in the Women, Infants and Children program, including half the babies born in the U.S., who could lose access to nutritional benefits, according to the White House.
It comes against the backdrop of the 2024 elections as Donald Trump, the leading Republican to challenge President Joe Biden, is egging on the Republicans in Congress to “shut it down” and undo the deal McCarthy made with Biden months ago.
Ryan, D-Gardiner, said in a telephone interview that the GOP is being controlled by “MAGA Republicans” who are not looking out for the best solution for the country.
“Laterally, from going back to the first days of this Congress, where it took 15 rounds for the Republicans to choose their leader, it’s been chaos, chaos, chaos,” Ryan said. “This is really a continuation and sort of culmination of what chaos and division gets you with very real and very dangerous consequences for our district and the country.”
“I think it’s dishonest for them to say just because they don’t like the direction of our country they are going to blow up the whole country,” Ryan said.
Ryan represents the 18th Congressional District.
Ryan said in a telephone interview Tuesday that he knows of a way to quickly avert the shutdown if only five GOP members signed on to it in order to keep the government open. He said the House could pass a “discharge petition” that would cut McCarthy out of negotiations and allow for the government to remain open for a few months while the whole House works out a budget.
Ryan said 213 Democrats, including him, have already supported it, but the measure needs 218 members to pass it.
“I am optimistic that we will see a few, hopefully more than few, but at least five patriots, step forward and say that ‘I am going to put the country ahead of the party,’” Ryan said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
