LAFAYETTE — The federal government shutdown entered its third day Friday as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields traded blame over stalled negotiations, with healthcare funding emerging as a central point of contention.
Fields said there is "no immediate impact" from the shutdown and he expects it to be manageable for the next two weeks. He emphasized the urgency of addressing healthcare provisions before they expire December 31.
"We're fighting for American citizens," Fields said in an interview with KATC, criticizing what he called "the largest healthcare cut in the history of our country." He said rural hospitals are "on the verge of closing" and people across Louisiana are losing benefits.
Speaker Johnson accused Senate Democrats of rejecting a "clean, simple continuing resolution" the House passed two weeks ago and claimed Democrats want to restore funding for healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants.
"Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats have now voted three times to reject" the House measure, Johnson said during television appearances Thursday. He directed people to his website, saying it contains evidence that Democrats' counter-proposal includes "almost $200 billion of taxpayer funds to give free stuff to illegal aliens."
Fields disputed characterizations about undocumented immigrants, saying Democrats are "not fighting for undocumented people."
The Louisiana congressman criticized President Donald Trump for canceling a scheduled meeting with Democratic leadership and said lawmakers were ready to work Monday and Tuesday when the speaker canceled votes.
"The key is people need to talk to each other," Fields said, calling Washington "broken" and more partisan than when he previously served in Congress 32 years ago.
Johnson suggested the shutdown could provide an opportunity for the Trump administration to eliminate what he called wasteful programs, saying the president would evaluate government services "with very different lenses" than the previous administration.
Both lawmakers acknowledged the impact on federal services, with Johnson citing stalled veteran services, nutrition programs and unpaid federal workers, while Fields directed constituents to his website for shutdown information.
Fields said Democrats are willing to end the shutdown immediately but called healthcare funding "non-negotiable."
