The MAGA Caucus: Deal or No Deal?

First it was the default crisis, now it’s a government shutdown. Problems viewing this email? [View it in your browser]( [Center for American Progress]( InProgress from the Center for American Progress The MAGA Caucus' Appropriations Proposal Could Cause a Government Shutdown [House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks at a podium in front of the US Capitol]( Each year, Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills, or a “continuing resolution,” by midnight on September 30—the end of the federal fiscal year—in order to avoid a government shutdown. As part of the deal struck earlier this year to avert default and raise the debt ceiling, leaders in the House, the Senate, and the White House agreed on certain parameters for spending bills for the coming fiscal year. The Senate Appropriations Committee finished writing its 12 appropriations bills in July, and each received unanimous or very strong bipartisan support when voted on by the committee. This week, the full Senate has begun the work of passing these bills—similarly, with very strong bipartisan support. Their proposals would largely stick to the May 2023 debt limit deal and protect many key priorities such as programs for low-income housing, education, and clean energy. But in stark contrast, the appropriations proposal from extremists in the House [violates the previously negotiated terms]( and would set the United States on a path toward a government shutdown. The top-line funding levels proposed are significantly below what was negotiated in the debt limit agreement, with particular cuts to programs for education, nutrition, and the Social Security Administration. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and other extremists in the MAGA caucus are faced with a choice: Stick to their word and pass a budget for the middle class or pursue spending cuts so extreme even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) won’t get behind them. [Read More]( Stand Up to Kevin McCarthy and the MAGA Caucus Instead of upholding their end of the deal, Speaker Kevin McCarthy and some extreme right-wing members of Congress are deliberately threatening our economic security with a government shutdown. Demand that promises are kept and our government stays open now. [Take Action]( A Government Shutdown Would Be Catastrophic [Like this post if you don't want Speaker McCarthy to shut down our government. ]( [Share Now]( Transforming Water Transportation [The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge is a four-lane cantilevered truss bridge crossing the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana, that carries US highway 31. It is known locally as the Second Street Bridge and opened in 1929.]( Thanks to funding from theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, [dams and locks on the Ohio River are getting an upgrade](. At 85 years old, three locks are showing [significant deterioration](. One of the locks is already leaking; if it collapses, it will stop crucial transportation on the river and affect the river as a water source for surrounding communities. This could mean job loss and increased traffic and air pollution from putting more cars on the road. But with [$857 million]( of funding headed to the region, this project will allow commercial barge traffic on the Ohio River to flow freely for decades to come, ensuring critical transportation infrastructure is in place. The Upper Ohio Navigation Project isn’t just ensuring that decades of river traffic will be safe and possible in the future; it’s also supporting jobs for the American people. Improved transportation through the surrounding communities will support 3,800 full-time jobs annually, and the larger project in the region could support more than 21,000 jobs. The Upper Ohio Navigation System is an investment in the southwestern Pennsylvania economy. It’s an investment in the American economy, in the country’s trade economy, in the environment, and in our people. [Read more]( [Banner reading "Biden Administration Investment Tracker"]( United Auto Workers on Strike Today, for the first time in four years, 150,000 United Auto Workers (UAW) members went on strike against the “Big Three” American automakers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. In response, [Patrick Gaspard]( president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, released [the following statement]( The Big Three’s refusal to do right by their workers and support a just transition to electric vehicles is a moral failure. These companies have earned billions of dollars in profit this year alone which resulted in massive returns for their executives while punishing workers with deplorable conditions that were agreed to under threat of bankruptcy. Because of the UAW, American auto jobs have long represented the promise of this country—that if you work hard and play by the rules, the people who build the cars that power our economy by getting Americans to work and goods to market are deserving of a middle-class life. Rather than continue this tradition, the Big Three are playing a dangerous game that kicks dirt in the face of American workers, risks the industry being at a competitive disadvantage globally, and undermines public health. The Big Three need to end this strike, reinvest in their workers, and put America’s auto industry on the map for decades to come. [Learn More]( ICYMI: The Time Tax: Better Access to Benefits by Reducing Administrative Burden Burdens such as excessive paperwork, difficult reenrollment procedures, and complicated applications can prevent otherwise eligible people from obtaining the benefits they need. These types of burdens can be particularly challenging to those from underserved communities. States, practitioners, and the federal government have all turned their attention to the complex systems and “time taxes” that individuals, families, and even small businesses navigate as they try to access the programs and services that can grow the middle class. This week, CAP hosted a discussion with a panel of experts focused on how reducing administrative burden can help improve access to services and programs that people need. [Watch the Video]( Follow us on [Follow us on Twitter]( [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow us on YouTube]( [Follow us on Instagram]( [Support CAP]( [Manage Email Preferences or Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( [Center for American Progress]( Center for American Progress 1333 H Street NW Washington, D.C. 20005 [supporter]