A partial government shutdown began at midnight as congressional leaders failed to strike a deal on funding legislation before the Oct. 1 shutdown deadline.
As a result, a wide range of federal services will be impacted and thousands of government workers are set to be furloughed. Certain agencies, like the U.S. Postal Service, air traffic control and Social Security, are considered essential and will run as usual.
Here’s how Illinois officials responded to the shutdown.
JB Pritzker
Gov. JB Pritzker blamed the shutdown on Trump and Republicans in Congress, saying they refused to “do their jobs” and address the “health care crisis that they created just earlier this year.”
Dick Durbin
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin wrote a lengthy thread on X in response, similarly blaming Trump and congressional Republicans for the shutdown and refusal to address “their looming, self-inflicted health care crisis.”
“Democrats are ready to come to the table to broker a sensible deal that addresses the Republican health care crisis and ensures the essential functions of government remain running on behalf of the American people, but Republicans have been unwilling to negotiate,” the senator wrote.
Tammy Duckworth
Illinois’ other senator, Democrat Tammy Duckworth, commented on the situation prior to the start of the shutdown, saying simply, “Keep the government open AND lower health care costs. We can do both.”
Mike Bost
Republican Rep. Mike Bost called the situation “maddening” in an X post, placing the blame on congressional Democrats.
“Weeks ago, I joined House Republicans in passing a responsible plan to extend current funding and keep essential services running, but nearly every House Democrat opposed it,” Bost wrote. “Instead, they pushed for a $1.5 trillion spending spree that funds healthcare for illegal immigrants. … This shutdown creates uncertainty for the American people at a time we can least afford it.”
Mary Miller
Prior to the shutdown, another Republican Rep. Mary Miller said, “If the government shuts down, it’s 100% on the Democrats.”
In response to an X post about the vote in Congress, Miller labeled the shutdown the “Schumer Shutdown,” in reference to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Mike Quigley
Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley wrote prior to the shutdown that “the U.S. government will shut down due to the Republican majority’s failure to pass a commonsense spending plan.”
In screenshots of “True or False” questions, Quigley refuted claims that the shutdown was caused by Democrats and that “Democrats are trying to pay for healthcare for undocumented immigrants.”
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi criticized a message on the U.S. Housing and Urban Development website blaming the “radical left” for the shutdown.
“Republicans will own this shutdown and the pain it causes, no matter how much they try to spin it,” he wrote in an X post.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: The US government is shut down. See how Pritzker, other Illinois leaders responded
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
