The United States is effectively shut down, even though both of Indiana’s Senators voted to keep the government running.
All but the most essential operations are not being funded as a result of a late Friday vote that fell short of the required 60 votes in the U.S. Senate. Republican Senator Todd Young was among the yes votes. Curiously, so was Democrat Joe Donnelly, who joined Democrats Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Doug Jones (Ala.), Joe Manchin (W.Va), and Claire McCaskill (Mo.).
“The most basic duty of Congress is to fund the federal government, and I voted to keep the government running,” Donnelly said in a statement after the vote. “I am incredibly disappointed Congress failed to prevent a shutdown. Like in 2013, I’m going to work with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to reopen the government, and I will donate my take-home pay during the shutdown to charity in Indiana.”
Congressman Luke Messer, who is among the GOP contingent vying for Donnelly’s Senate seat this year, also stated he’ll donate his take-home pay to Indiana charities, specifically pro-life groups.
President Donald Trump says Democrats wanted to give him “a nice present” to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration. He says Democrats “could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead.”
In a series of tweets hours after the shutdown began, the president is trying to make the case for Americans to elect more Republicans in the November elections “in order to power through this mess.”
Congress has scheduled an unusual Saturday session to begin considering a three-week version of the short-term spending measure — and to let the public know they’re at work as the shutdown starts.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
