Rep. Mike Flood says spending compromise unlikely before government shutdown deadline

With federal government funding set to expire at the end of the day Tuesday, one Nebraska congressman isn’t holding out hope of avoiding a shutdown.

Rep. Mike Flood, a Republican who represents Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, said Sunday that compromise with the Democrats, at least in the short term, seems unlikely.

“Sadly, at this time, I'm not hearing about anything that gives me hope that we're going to be able to get past this, basically because Senator Schumer in the Senate says he's not there, the Democrats don't want to do this,” Flood said.

Republicans are pushing for a seven-week stopgap spending bill that keeps most funding levels the same. It does include an additional $30 million for Congressional security and $58 million in security assistance for the judicial and executive branches.

The measure passed in the House of Representatives, but fell short of the 60 votes necessary in the Senate.

A separate plan from Democrats would extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and restore nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding cuts. It also failed to pass in the Senate.

Flood said the Republicans’ plan is reasonable while criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for giving in to his “far left base.”

“They would rather shut down the government, not pay our troops, not have nutrition programs for women and children, not have money go to FEMA,” Flood said. “Instead, they're demanding $1.5 trillion in extra spending at a time when we're $37 trillion in debt. That’s the negotiation right now.”

Flood also warned that a government shutdown would give the executive branch the ability to cut programs that would otherwise fall under Congressional authority.

“What's the number one concern Democrats have? It's Donald Trump,” he said. “Who do they empower in the executive branch if we find ourselves in a shutdown?”

If the government shuts down, the White House has indicated it will use the funding lapse to eliminate federal workers in programs that are “not consistent with the president’s priorities.”

Schumer called the plan an “attempt at intimidation” in a statement last week and wrote that the proposed firings will be overturned in court or hired back.

Typically, government shutdowns result in the temporary furloughs of federal workers as agencies are prohibited from dispensing money.

Some essential federal employees, like law enforcement and air traffic controllers, are required to work without pay during the shutdown and receive backpay once the government is funded again.

Flood said the blame for impacts falls on his opposition party.

“From where I sit, Democrats are using federal employees essentially as a hostage to try and get additional spending,” he said.

Flood said Republicans are in the process of coming together on a budget, which he hopes to have done by Nov. 21.