With a federal government shutdown looming this weekend, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says it’s “idiocy” to be going through this process again. The U. S. Senate has created a bipartisan package that’s designed to temporarily fund the government but indications are, the House likely won’t be able to finish its work before Saturday’s deadline. Grassley says he can’t predict what will happen.
Grassley says the House is making a “serious attempt” to avert a shutdown, while the Senate’s stop-gap measure should be finished today in plenty of time to meet the deadline.
The government shutdown would impact millions of federal workers including a number of local employees, though many others would be forced to work without pay. In the past, they’ve always gotten backpay once the government restarts, but Grassley says there’s no guarantee that will happen.
While saying he loves his job, Grassley says the three most frustrating things about being a U. S. Senator are: 1) the inconsistency of air travel, 2) blizzards in northwest Iowa during January and February, and 3) government shutdowns.
