Bill Samuel, Director of Government Affairs for the AFL-CIO, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the potential for a complete government shutdown. Samuel outlined what could be done to prevent the shutdown, and he also talked about misinformation on the status of the economy.
After the concerns about a government shutdown in early 2023, a similar situation has returned as 11 of the 12 spending bills have not been approved. This shutdown could happen at the end of September, a mere 12 working days after the House reconvenes. The last shutdown occurred under the Trump administration. That shutdown wasn’t complete as several spending bills had been passed, but it still lasted 36 days, Samuel said.
There is a short-term solution available to prevent a shutdown. If not all spending bills are passed, Congress could pass a Continuing Appropriations Resolution (CR). These CR’s could stay in place as long as needed and keep spending levels at the previous status quo until a new bill could be passed. Samuel believes there’s a possibility that the House Republicans could refuse to pass the CR and, in doing so, possibly lose Speaker McCarthy his speakership.
The continuous spread of disingenuous information on the status of America’s economy has Samuel pushing back on several myths. Currently, Samuel is focused on misinformation surrounding unemployment, reshoring manufacturing jobs and inflation rates. He explains that depending on the source of the news, people will have differing opinions on the state of the economy.
For more from Bill Samuel and the AFL-CIO, listen to the episode above.
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