BETHLEHEM, Pa. — U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie continued to blame Democrats for the week-long federal shutdown during a telephone town hall Tuesday night.
Senate Democrats have insisted they will not vote to temporarily fund the government unless Republicans vote to extend tax subsidies for the Affordable Care Act that expire at the end of the year.
Republicans have refused to budge but lack the votes to pass the bill on their own.
Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, is on record supporting an extension of the ACA tax subsidies. KFF, a health care research and policy organization, has reported that ACA subsidies will increase by 114% in the new year unless an agreement is reached.
But on Tuesday night, he echoed Republican leadership, saying a clean funding agreement must be passed before any ACA reforms can be considered. Mackenzie accused Democrats of recklessly harming America by withholding their votes.
“I view it as Democrats and [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer are trying to add to this conversation and debate when what I think he’s doing is delaying that potential resolution,” he said.
Mackenzie noted that his criticism didn’t extend to U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. — one of the only Democrats to cross the aisle and vote in favor of a funding resolution.
With the federal shutdown underway, thousands of federal employees have been furloughed and millions more could miss a paycheck if a deal isn’t reached by Oct. 15. While critical operations such as law enforcement, military operations and Social Security payments continue, property owners have not been able to purchase federal flood insurance.
Mackenzie also bemoaned that the Bureau of Labor Statistics will likely miss its next jobs report, a valuable monthly assessment of the national economy’s health. However, Mackenzie condemned the bureau for incompetence just last month after repeated revisions of its findings.
"I think situations like this bring about new conversations and discussions. New members are looking at this thinking there obviously has to be a better way."U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie on the federal shutdown
Mackenzie offered no insights as to when the shutdown could end, saying it rested entirely with Senate Democrats. The last shutdown lasted a record 35 days in 2018 and 2019 as Washington fought over funding President Donald Trump’s border wall.
Mackenzie voiced support for reforming how Congress passes budgets, holding up some of Pennsylvania’s practices as an improvement. Those include a requirement for a balanced budget, and a deadline of when a budget must be passed.
“I think situations like this bring about new conversations and discussions. New members are looking at this thinking there obviously has to be a better way,” Mackenzie said.
At the same time, he acknowledged Pennsylvania’s budget is four months overdue, saying Gov. Josh Shapiro had failed. Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate has balked at increasing spending at all, leading to an impasse with the Shapiro administration and the Democratic-controlled House.
Tuesday night's town hall was sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, one of Mackenzie's earliest and most reliable supporters. The conservative think tank, backed by billionaire Charles Koch, pumped $419,591 into his primary campaign last year — more than any other candidate in the country.
While the 30-minute call was promoted as a telephone town hall, moderators presented only two questions that they said came from callers. The inquiries touched on previously discussed topics.
House Republicans, including Mackenzie, passed a clean funding package in September. The five Democrats running to oust Mackenzie in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District next year have all said they would not vote for a funding package unless it included language that either extended ACA tax subsidies or restored previously cut Medicaid funding.
As a toss-up district in a battleground state, Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District is among the most contested political real estate in the country. Both political parties have invested heavily in the district in recent election cycles. In 2024, campaigns and their allies spent a record $30 million on the congressional race.
