From Colorado's national parks to labs, likely federal government shutdown will have a big impact on the state
Congress has until midnight Tuesday to pass a federal funding bill or the government will shut down.
Leadership from both parties met with President Trump Monday to try to avoid a shutdown, but the president has warned it is likely.
From Rocky Mountain National Park next to Estes Park to the federal labs in Boulder and the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado would be hard hit by a shutdown.
The state has 54,300 federal workers, and Trump is threatening not just furloughs but firings in some cases.
Rep. Joe Neguse, the U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader and a Democrat who represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, says Democrats won't be intimidated.
"The notion that he would refuse to negotiate in good faith and instead make these unlawful threats ... is the height of absurdity," Neguse said.
Republicans need at least seven Democrats in the Senate to pass a bill and Democrats are using that leverage to get what they want -- a permanent extension of health care tax credits and a reversal of Medicaid cuts.
Rep. Gabe Evans, a Republican who represents Colorado's 8th Congressional District, says that's not happening.
"If the government shuts down here, it's going to be the Democrats' fault because they are the ones that are demanding that Republicans repeal these protections around fraud, waste and abuse and around illegal immigrants getting your taxpayer dollars, and they're demanding that we get rid of this, and apparently they're willing to shut the government down over it," he said.
While the government has had partial shutdowns in the past, this one would impact virtually every federal agency -- but not every federal employee would be furloughed. "Essential" employees will continue to work without pay, including FBI, DEA and immigration agents, air traffic controllers and TSA officers, and health and disaster relief workers. Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare benefits will continue, but food stamps will end if the shutdown lasts more than a few weeks.
Neguse says Democrats are willing to negotiate but House Republicans aren't expected to reconvene until Oct. 7.
"I understand at having been involved in these negotiations previously that a negotiation is precisely that. It's a negotiation with give and take and one in which requires all parties to participate in good faith. The problem right now is that we have been unable to get a negotiating partner on the other side of the aisle," he said.
Evans says there are some things Republicans won't budge on.
"I'm always willing to have the conversation about how do we ease some of these transitions. It just has to be a thoughtful conversation that begins with basic premises like no taxpayer money to illegal immigrants," he said.
Gov. Jared Polis is preparing for a shutdown. He asked the Joint Budget Committee to set aside money for WIC -- a federal nutrition program for women infants and children. He is also asking the federal government to keep Rocky Mountain National Park open, saying it is a key economic driver for the state and 10% of its visits come in October. The governor says he is willing to use some limited state funds to help keep the park open.
"A shutdown will hurt hardworking Coloradans, plain and simple," said Polis. "We saw during the last federal shutdown how billions of dollars in economic activity were lost, workers went without paychecks and businesses never fully recovered their potential income."
"Now Congress is once again playing games with Coloradans' livelihoods by risking health care, jobs and economic security. It's time for the majority in Congress and the administration to come together, pass a balanced budget like we do every year here in Colorado, and stop punishing hardworking families."
Furloughed workers would receive back pay when the shutdown ends. The Colorado Department of Labor says many of them will likely be eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits while they are out of work.
