The government shutdown is dragging on, with no serious negotiations between the parties. The House is not in session and most members are back home in their districts, hearing from constituents.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
There are still no serious negotiations in Congress to bring the government shutdown to a close. The House of Representatives hasn’t even had a vote in over a month. NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt left the halls of the Capitol to find one member in his Texas district. Barbara, thanks for being with us.
BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE: Thanks for having me.
SIMON: I gather you visited Llano, about 90 minutes northwest of Austin. It’s represented by Congressman August Pfluger. What did he say to constituents?
SPRUNT: Well, he praised Republicans’ signature tax and spending bill from earlier this year. It included tax cuts and changes to the Medicaid program, all very popular with this group of about 40 people, including some members of local government. That wasn’t a surprise to me. This district went for President Trump in 2024 by 72%. It is a solid red district. He also talked a lot about the shutdown. He said the House did its job in passing a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government just before they left in mid-September.
SIMON: But the House still hasn’t returned.
SPRUNT: That’s right. For now, the speaker isn’t bringing the chamber back until Senate Democrats agree to fund the government. And the congressman laid out why he thinks Democrats haven’t done that yet. Pfluger said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer needs to look like he’s opposing President Trump at every turn.
AUGUST PFLUGER: I think he has to look tough to his radical-left base because he’s worried about AOC being the next senator from New York, and so he has to be seen as fighting Trump.
SPRUNT: Of course, Senate Democrats would put it a bit differently. They say they’re trying to force a negotiation on extending ACA subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. Pfluger, like his party leadership, says they should fund the government first and then negotiate on the subsidies. So I asked voters at this about the town hall. Carlton Johnson (ph), a Republican, said he has big concerns about health care, but Democrats’ message just doesn’t resonate with him.
CARLTON JOHNSON: What I see is the Democrats trying to hold the country hostage to get what they want. Yeah, I think it’s very childish.
SIMON: Of course, health care is at the center of why the shutdown continues. More and more states will be feeling the consequences, particularly cuts to nutrition assistance. Did that come up?
SPRUNT: It did. Here’s the congressman.
PFLUGER: I think the food assistance is one that I would put at the very highest level of worry. Can you imagine kids not getting the funding they need?
SPRUNT: Now, in Texas, over 3 million people use SNAP benefits, and about 10% of households in Pfluger’s district, according to an estimate from the U.S. Census. One constituent told me she’s very concerned about kids not getting this assistance, but she hopes that food banks can step up.
SIMON: Is that even possible?
SPRUNT: Well, I called the CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank to ask exactly that question. Here’s Sari Vatske.
SARI VATSKE: There is no way that we alone can make up for a $44 million food budget shortfall. We are currently spending $1.3 million per month, which is already up from $1.1 million to purchase food to make up for the increased need. So simply put, we need the government to reopen.
SPRUNT: Now, she said that if November SNAP benefits are gone for families in Central Texas, what that means is 127,000 households without those benefits.
SIMON: And of course, President Trump hasn’t stepped forward to try to broker a deal. What did people there have to say about his involvement?
SPRUNT: Well, you know, a few people mentioned wanting to see him step in and play a role. Small business owner Mickey Kasarik (ph) is particularly concerned about these health care premiums skyrocketing without an extension of the subsidies. And he said he wonders where the president is in all of this.
MICKEY KASARIK: I mean, he wrote “The Art Of The Deal,” right? You know, if he’s such a good negotiator and does that, why doesn’t he say, let’s sit down. Let’s find something?
SPRUNT: He’s a Republican, but he’s critical of the president. He says that if Trump stepped in to stop the shutdown, it would be a plus in his book. But the president left for a trip to Asia yesterday, so it’s looking unlikely that he’ll be sitting down at any negotiating table with Democrats and Republicans anytime soon.
SIMON: NPR’s Barbara Sprunt. Thanks so much.
SPRUNT: Thank you, Scott.
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