The federal government shut down this weekend, as Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure. Many may wonder what this means for the nation&rsquo;s public health battles against threats like the flu and the opioid crisis.

In a shutdown, contingency plans allow the federal government to meet most short-term health care needs. Most American hospitals are privately run. Public hospitals are, with very few exceptions, run by state and local governments, which aren&rsquo;t directly affected. No one will be turned away at the emergency room because of the shutdown.

There are, however, plenty of federally funded programs and a few medical facilities that are immediately affected. The federal government will also likely take longer to respond to emerging health crises, as nonessential personnel are sent home.

Patient care

Most federal funding for direct patient care is appropriated separately from the budget negotiations causing the shutdown. So Medicare and Medicaid will be largely unaffected, for example.

There&rsquo;s also a separate appropriation to sustain medical care for veterans. This has been in place since the 2013 shutdown, which caused Congress to change the way it funds veteran care.

The shutdown does affect the Department of Health and Human Services, where 50 percent of all public employees will be sent home on furlough, or without pay. The remaining workers are considered essential to protect life and property.

HHS provides direct patient care only in a few cases, but Indian Health Services &ndash; the agency charged with providing clinical care for 2.2 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives &ndash; is under its purview. Thankfully, there will be no disruptions in those services, because nearly every IHS employee is considered essential.

The National Health Institute Clinical Center provides medical services, primarily for patients participating in medical studies funded by the federal government. Patients already admitted will continue to receive care, but there will be no new clinical study admissions during the shutdown.

This is one of the few places where the shutdown could result in fatalities. Many patients only participate in medical studies when conventional medicine has failed. It&rsquo;s possible that some would-be patients, who would have received potentially lifesaving medical care, will die without these lifesaving treatments. That probability increases with the duration of the shutdown.

Public health

Much of the federal funding for public health helps local and state authorities preempt and mitigate threats.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports local and state authorities in disease outbreaks and coordinates national level efforts to counter them. The urgent response to disease outbreaks, like the this year&rsquo;s record-breaking flu, will continue without disruption.

However, federal investigations of new disease outbreaks &ndash; which are crucial to countering diseases before they become widespread in multiple states &ndash; will be substantially slower during the shutdown. It will also take longer for the CDC to disseminate crucial national public health information to hospitals and doctors, who often depend on this data to administer appropriate care at local levels.

The federal government also ensures the safety and well-being of Americans through food inspections, which keep contaminated meats, eggs, grains and other foodstuffs from making it to the consumer. Many of these inspections will continue without disruption.

Brain drain

While the law mandates that the essential personnel who protect life and property must remain at work, these government workers will not receive pay during the shutdown.

By law, essential personnel have to be reimbursed for their lost earnings once the government resumes full operations. But, in the short run, it changes how government workers can spend money and take care of their families. The government workers who were furloughed are not guaranteed any pay for the period they were locked out.

The public health sector, more so than many other aspects of the federal government, depends on highly educated and skilled employees with advanced degrees, such as medical doctors and researchers. Although government workers often make higher wages than they could in the private sector, that isn&rsquo;t true for those who are most skilled. Many public servants in public health take pay cuts to work for the federal government.

Friday&rsquo;s government shutdown is the second in just five years. With the disruption to the livelihoods of more than a million federal employees, it&rsquo;s understandable that some employees may seek employment in the private sector instead, leaving the federal government less capable in the future.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-government-shutdown-means-for-the-health-of-americans-90430" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

With the disruption to the livelihoods of more than a million federal employees, it’s understandable that some employees may seek employment in the private sector instead, leaving the federal government less capable in the future.

The federal government shut down this weekend, as Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure. Many may wonder what this means for the nation’s public health battles against threats like the flu and the opioid crisis. In a shutdown, contingency plans allow the federal government to meet most short-term health care needs. Most American hospitals are privately run. Public hospitals are, with very few exceptions, run by state and local governments, which aren’t directly affected. No one will be turned away at the emergency room because of the shutdown. There are, however, plenty of federally funded programs and a few medical facilities that are immediately affected. The federal government will also likely take longer to respond to emerging health crises, as nonessential personnel are sent home. Patient care Most federal funding for direct patient care is appropriated separately from the budget negotiations causing the shutdown. So Medicare and Medicaid will be largely unaffected, for example. There’s also a separate appropriation to sustain medical care for veterans. This has been in place since the 2013 shutdown, which caused Congress to change the way it funds veteran care. The shutdown does affect the Department of Health and Human Services, where 50 percent of all public employees will be sent home on furlough, or without pay. The remaining workers are considered essential to protect life and property. HHS provides direct patient care only in a few cases, but Indian Health Services – the agency charged with providing clinical care for 2.2 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives – is under its purview. Thankfully, there will be no disruptions in those services, because nearly every IHS employee is considered essential. The National Health Institute Clinical Center provides medical services, primarily for patients participating in medical studies funded by the federal government. Patients already admitted will continue to receive care, but there will be no new clinical study admissions during the shutdown. This is one of the few places where the shutdown could result in fatalities. Many patients only participate in medical studies when conventional medicine has failed. It’s possible that some would-be patients, who would have received potentially lifesaving medical care, will die without these lifesaving treatments. That probability increases with the duration of the shutdown. Public health Much of the federal funding for public health helps local and state authorities preempt and mitigate threats. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports local and state authorities in disease outbreaks and coordinates national level efforts to counter them. The urgent response to disease outbreaks, like the this year’s record-breaking flu, will continue without disruption. However, federal investigations of new disease outbreaks – which are crucial to countering diseases before they become widespread in multiple states – will be substantially slower during the shutdown. It will also take longer for the CDC to disseminate crucial national public health information to hospitals and doctors, who often depend on this data to administer appropriate care at local levels. The federal government also ensures the safety and well-being of Americans through food inspections, which keep contaminated meats, eggs, grains and other foodstuffs from making it to the consumer. Many of these inspections will continue without disruption. Brain drain While the law mandates that the essential personnel who protect life and property must remain at work, these government workers will not receive pay during the shutdown. By law, essential personnel have to be reimbursed for their lost earnings once the government resumes full operations. But, in the short run, it changes how government workers can spend money and take care of their families. The government workers who were furloughed are not guaranteed any pay for the period they were locked out. The public health sector, more so than many other aspects of the federal government, depends on highly educated and skilled employees with advanced degrees, such as medical doctors and researchers. Although government workers often make higher wages than they could in the private sector, that isn’t true for those who are most skilled. Many public servants in public health take pay cuts to work for the federal government. Friday’s government shutdown is the second in just five years. With the disruption to the livelihoods of more than a million federal employees, it’s understandable that some employees may seek employment in the private sector instead, leaving the federal government less capable in the future. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What the US government shutdown means for Americans

Government shutdowns are rare.

This one is unique because the U.S. has never before experienced a shutdown under a unified government, a time when the White House and Congress are controlled by the same party.

The policy consequences of this shutdown are likely to be minimal. And, the shutdown itself will also probably be short-lived.

However, the political consequences and long-term &ldquo;optics&rdquo; may be significant &ndash; and are more likely to negatively impact Republicans than Democrats.

Politics are key

A government shutdown occurs when Congress and the president fail to pass required annual appropriations into law, and they also fail to pass a temporary funding mechanism known as a &ldquo;continuing resolution&rdquo; to keep the government funded. Without these authorizations, the agencies and departments of the federal government literally have no legal authority to spend funds &ndash; even though the law allows some &ldquo;essential&rdquo; government functions to keep running.

This time around, the politics of federal government appropriations are tied to the fate of two other controversial issues.

The first is DACA. Trump gave Congress six months to provide a legislative fix for the approximately 800,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and whose legal status is in jeopardy because the Trump administration rescinded an Obama-era executive action allowing them to stay in the country. Time is ticking for these so-called Dreamers, some of whom will lose their protective status beginning on March 5, 2018.

The second issue intertwined with the budget politics is funding of a health insurance program known as CHIP that provides services to 8.9 million children.

Republican congressional party leaders tried to push Democrats into an uncomfortable vote by forcing them to choose between negotiating a solution for DACA or funding CHIP. This maneuver had the potential to score important political points for Republicans during an election year.

But the plan was thwarted by none other than the leader of the Republican Party, President Trump. Whether it was inadvertent or not, the president&rsquo;s tweets made many Republicans nervous that the president might not support the deal that congressional leaders had fashioned to fund the government and CHIP.

The House passed the bill anyway, but the Senate balked.

One might say that the federal government shutdown represents a significant miscalculation by the Republican Party. The GOP is not operating as an effective governing coalition, in part because its leader does not provide a consistent strategic vision for the party.

There&rsquo;s nothing new about Trump being a thorn in the side of Republican party leaders. As a Republican candidate he ran against the party as an outsider and used that image to his benefit. As president, he often seems more concerned about personal advantage than effective party functioning.

Despite all efforts to blame the Democrats, the political consequences of a shutdown, even a brief one, will be more likely to hurt Republicans than Democrats who have much less power in government now. In an election year that is already seeing a huge uptick in Republican retirements and a growing enthusiasm for Democratic candidates, the last thing Republicans need is a loss like this.

There are 290 days until Election Day.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shutdown-under-a-unified-government-blame-trump-90423" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This government shutdown is unique because the U.S. has never before experienced a shutdown under a unified government, a time when the White House and Congress are controlled by the same party.

Government shutdowns are rare. This one is unique because the U.S. has never before experienced a shutdown under a unified government, a time when the White House and Congress are controlled by the same party. The policy consequences of this shutdown are likely to be minimal. And, the shutdown itself will also probably be short-lived. However, the political consequences and long-term “optics” may be significant – and are more likely to negatively impact Republicans than Democrats. Politics are key A government shutdown occurs when Congress and the president fail to pass required annual appropriations into law, and they also fail to pass a temporary funding mechanism known as a “continuing resolution” to keep the government funded. Without these authorizations, the agencies and departments of the federal government literally have no legal authority to spend funds – even though the law allows some “essential” government functions to keep running. This time around, the politics of federal government appropriations are tied to the fate of two other controversial issues. The first is DACA. Trump gave Congress six months to provide a legislative fix for the approximately 800,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and whose legal status is in jeopardy because the Trump administration rescinded an Obama-era executive action allowing them to stay in the country. Time is ticking for these so-called Dreamers, some of whom will lose their protective status beginning on March 5, 2018. The second issue intertwined with the budget politics is funding of a health insurance program known as CHIP that provides services to 8.9 million children. Republican congressional party leaders tried to push Democrats into an uncomfortable vote by forcing them to choose between negotiating a solution for DACA or funding CHIP. This maneuver had the potential to score important political points for Republicans during an election year. But the plan was thwarted by none other than the leader of the Republican Party, President Trump. Whether it was inadvertent or not, the president’s tweets made many Republicans nervous that the president might not support the deal that congressional leaders had fashioned to fund the government and CHIP. The House passed the bill anyway, but the Senate balked. One might say that the federal government shutdown represents a significant miscalculation by the Republican Party. The GOP is not operating as an effective governing coalition, in part because its leader does not provide a consistent strategic vision for the party. There’s nothing new about Trump being a thorn in the side of Republican party leaders. As a Republican candidate he ran against the party as an outsider and used that image to his benefit. As president, he often seems more concerned about personal advantage than effective party functioning. Despite all efforts to blame the Democrats, the political consequences of a shutdown, even a brief one, will be more likely to hurt Republicans than Democrats who have much less power in government now. In an election year that is already seeing a huge uptick in Republican retirements and a growing enthusiasm for Democratic candidates, the last thing Republicans need is a loss like this. There are 290 days until Election Day. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Trump is to be blamed for the US government shutdown

After hours of delay, the US Congress finally passed the much-awaited federal spending today.

The measure has been sent to President Donald Trump seeking him to end the country&#39;s second government shutdown in three weeks.

The House voted in support of the bill in 240 to 186. The bipartisan package will extend government funding until March 23 lifting the federal spending limits by nearly $300 billion for the next couple of years.

Congress had previously missed a midnight deadline after a conservative senator refused to allow an early vote on the bill.

With Trump signing the bill, government offices will reopen.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Congress had previously missed a midnight deadline after a conservative senator refused to allow an early vote on the bill.

After hours of delay, the US Congress finally passed the much-awaited federal spending today. The measure has been sent to President Donald Trump seeking him to end the country's second government shutdown in three weeks. The House voted in support of the bill in 240 to 186. The bipartisan package will extend government funding until March 23 lifting the federal spending limits by nearly $300 billion for the next couple of years. Congress had previously missed a midnight deadline after a conservative senator refused to allow an early vote on the bill. With Trump signing the bill, government offices will reopen. (With inputs from AFP)

US: Congress passes spending bill, sends to Trump to end shutdown

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the US&nbsp;government &ldquo;could very well&rdquo; shut down and that would be very harmful to the military.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A government shutdown will be devastating to our military...something the Dems care very little about!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/953987636057821184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Already on Thursday, the White House appeared to be downplaying the impact of a possible shutdown, while at the same time preparing to lay blame on Congress if the government shuts down.&nbsp;

Less than an hour before a scheduled House vote on a spending bill Thursday night, Trump tweeted at lawmakers: &quot;Our military needs it!&quot; he wrote.

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House of Representatives needs to pass Government Funding Bill tonight. So important for our country - our Military needs it!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/954136290768846850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The president has consistently claimed that Democrats in Congress actually want a government shutdown, in order to detract attention away from the recently enacted Republican tax cuts.

Trump took to Twitter and wrote: &quot;either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good &quot;shutdown&quot; in September to fix mess!&quot;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good &quot;shutdown&quot; in September to fix mess!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/859393829505552385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&ldquo;If the country shuts down, which could very well be, the budget should be handled a lot different than it has been handled for the last long period of time,&rdquo; Trump said in answer to reporters&rsquo; questions as he arrived for a visit at the Pentagon. &ldquo;If for any reason it shuts down, the worst thing is what happens to our military.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Already on Thursday, the White House appeared to be downplaying the impact of a possible shutdown, while at the same time preparing to lay blame on Congress if the government shuts down.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the US government “could very well” shut down and that would be very harmful to the military. A government shutdown will be devastating to our military...something the Dems care very little about! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 × Already on Thursday, the White House appeared to be downplaying the impact of a possible shutdown, while at the same time preparing to lay blame on Congress if the government shuts down. Less than an hour before a scheduled House vote on a spending bill Thursday night, Trump tweeted at lawmakers: "Our military needs it!" he wrote. House of Representatives needs to pass Government Funding Bill tonight. So important for our country - our Military needs it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 × The president has consistently claimed that Democrats in Congress actually want a government shutdown, in order to detract attention away from the recently enacted Republican tax cuts. Trump took to Twitter and wrote: "either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess!" either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2017 × “If the country shuts down, which could very well be, the budget should be handled a lot different than it has been handled for the last long period of time,” Trump said in answer to reporters’ questions as he arrived for a visit at the Pentagon. “If for any reason it shuts down, the worst thing is what happens to our military.”

Trump says government 'could very well' shut down

Donald Trump and US lawmakers inched closer to a deal Tuesday avoiding a government shutdown, as the president, eager to showcase a win marking his first 100 days, retreated from a demand to fund a border wall.

With the government set to exhaust its current funding at midnight Friday, the White House is under the gun to craft a compromise that would keep the government running while not appearing to cave on Trump&#39;s demand that Congress fund a wall on the border with Mexico.

&quot;Hopefully, we&#39;ll reach an agreement some time in the next couple of days,&quot; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, but he did not rule out passing a short-term extension that gives lawmakers time to craft a final deal.

While lawmaker said the funding legislation would steer clear of including funding for a border wall, it is expected to cover broader border security measures, such as the use of drones or anti-tunnelling technology.

But a deal remained far from certain. Among the sticking points is the fate of cost-sharing arrangements that help reduce health insurance costs for low-income Americans buying plans through the Affordable Care Act, the reform implemented by Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump had been on a collision course with lawmakers over the wall, demanding that Congress include funding to start construction in its new spending bill.

Democrats blasted the approach, warning that Republicans risked being blamed for shuttering the government barely three months into Trump&#39;s administration.

&quot;There aren&#39;t enough Republican votes to put the wall in&quot; to the spending bill, said veteran Senator Patrick Leahy, top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.

With jitters rippling through Washington, Trump apparently agreed to soften his demand days before the deadline.

- Optimism - 
He told a group of conservative journalists he was open to delaying funding for the wall&#39;s construction until September, a White House official said, according to The Washington Post.

By Tuesday, the administration was acknowledging Trump&#39;s plan could be pushed back.

&quot;Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him,&quot; advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.&nbsp;

&quot;But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year.&quot;

With shutdown fever appearing to break in Washington, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said he was &quot;optimistic&quot; about reaching a timely deal, provided Republicans do not include controversial other issues such as defunding Planned Parenthood clinics.

&quot;We&#39;re pleased he&#39;s backing off,&quot; Schumer said of Trump&#39;s funding demand.&nbsp;

Instead of a wall, lawmakers are expressing support for a broader set of border security measures, including using drones and other high technology.

&quot;We&#39;re not opposed to border security,&quot; Schumer said.&nbsp;

&quot;We are opposed to the wall. And we&#39;re not going to allow any dollars in any kind of border security appropriation to be used for a wall. Period.&quot;

Building the wall was Trump&#39;s signature campaign promise, but Democrats note that Trump pledged Mexico would pay for it.

Even as the White House appeared to soften its rigid posture, Trump sent mixed messages.

&quot;Don&#39;t let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc,&quot; he said Tuesday on Twitter.

The president then insisted the wall would be built &quot;soon,&quot; but offered no time frame other than within his four-year term.

&quot;The wall&#39;s going to get built, folks,&quot; Trump told reporters.

- &#39;Active negotiations&#39; - 
Congress, returning from a two-week break, now has three days to strike a deal.

Lawmakers have warned that a stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, may be needed to give Congress breathing room to finalize the spending details.

&quot;This is active negotiations,&quot; Republican Senator David Purdue said.

With the 100-day mark landing on Saturday and few legislative victories under his belt, Trump is pressing to fulfill another campaign pledge.

As a candidate, he repeatedly vowed to reform the tax code and slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent.&nbsp;

An announcement on such reforms is due Wednesday.

Conservatives have sought a reduction in tax rates for years, but they are also adamant about reducing the debt. Some Republicans appeared hesitant to embrace such slashes to &nbsp;corporate tax rates.

&quot;Fifteen percent might be too low,&quot; House Republican Leonard Lance told CNN.

Democrats have expressed little appetite for dramatically reducing taxes, especially for big business.

If there are no significant tax breaks for small business or working-class Americans, &quot;that would certainly for me be a non-starter,&quot; Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said.

(AFP)

Donald Trump and US lawmakers inched closer to a deal Tuesday avoiding a government shutdown, as the president, eager to showcase a win marking his first 100 days, retreated from a demand to fund a border wall. With the government set to exhaust its current funding at midnight Friday, the White House is under the gun to craft a compromise that would keep the government running while not appearing to cave on Trump's demand that Congress fund a wall on the border with Mexico. "Hopefully, we'll reach an agreement some time in the next couple of days," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, but he did not rule out passing a short-term extension that gives lawmakers time to craft a final deal. While lawmaker said the funding legislation would steer clear of including funding for a border wall, it is expected to cover broader border security measures, such as the use of drones or anti-tunnelling technology. But a deal remained far from certain. Among the sticking points is the fate of cost-sharing arrangements that help reduce health insurance costs for low-income Americans buying plans through the Affordable Care Act, the reform implemented by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. Trump had been on a collision course with lawmakers over the wall, demanding that Congress include funding to start construction in its new spending bill. Democrats blasted the approach, warning that Republicans risked being blamed for shuttering the government barely three months into Trump's administration. "There aren't enough Republican votes to put the wall in" to the spending bill, said veteran Senator Patrick Leahy, top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. With jitters rippling through Washington, Trump apparently agreed to soften his demand days before the deadline. - Optimism - He told a group of conservative journalists he was open to delaying funding for the wall's construction until September, a White House official said, according to The Washington Post. By Tuesday, the administration was acknowledging Trump's plan could be pushed back. "Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him," advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News. "But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year." With shutdown fever appearing to break in Washington, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said he was "optimistic" about reaching a timely deal, provided Republicans do not include controversial other issues such as defunding Planned Parenthood clinics. "We're pleased he's backing off," Schumer said of Trump's funding demand. Instead of a wall, lawmakers are expressing support for a broader set of border security measures, including using drones and other high technology. "We're not opposed to border security," Schumer said. "We are opposed to the wall. And we're not going to allow any dollars in any kind of border security appropriation to be used for a wall. Period." Building the wall was Trump's signature campaign promise, but Democrats note that Trump pledged Mexico would pay for it. Even as the White House appeared to soften its rigid posture, Trump sent mixed messages. "Don't let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc," he said Tuesday on Twitter. The president then insisted the wall would be built "soon," but offered no time frame other than within his four-year term. "The wall's going to get built, folks," Trump told reporters. - 'Active negotiations' - Congress, returning from a two-week break, now has three days to strike a deal. Lawmakers have warned that a stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, may be needed to give Congress breathing room to finalize the spending details. "This is active negotiations," Republican Senator David Purdue said. With the 100-day mark landing on Saturday and few legislative victories under his belt, Trump is pressing to fulfill another campaign pledge. As a candidate, he repeatedly vowed to reform the tax code and slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. An announcement on such reforms is due Wednesday. Conservatives have sought a reduction in tax rates for years, but they are also adamant about reducing the debt. Some Republicans appeared hesitant to embrace such slashes to corporate tax rates. "Fifteen percent might be too low," House Republican Leonard Lance told CNN. Democrats have expressed little appetite for dramatically reducing taxes, especially for big business. If there are no significant tax breaks for small business or working-class Americans, "that would certainly for me be a non-starter," Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said. (AFP)

US govt shutdown threat ebbs as Trump retreats from demand to fund wall

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