The U.S. government shut down just after 12 a.m. Wednesday.
It’s the third government shut down in the past decade, and the impact here in Maine and across the nation is still being assessed.
Both Democrats and Republicans have been trading barbs over who bears the ultimate responsibility for the shutdown.
Here’s a rundown of what officials here have to say about the stalemate in Washington.
Janet Mills, Maine governor
“This type of dysfunction is exactly what Maine people can’t stand about Washington — and that’s because here in Maine, unlike in Washington, we balance our books, pay our bills, and meet our obligations. It’s entirely irresponsible that the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress have shut down the federal government simply because they don’t want people across Maine and America to have access to health care and are unwilling to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing further. Now, in addition to denying people vital care, Republicans are pushing our economy closer to the brink, putting critical services at risk, and requiring TSA workers, prison guards and members of the military to work without pay. I do not consider health care to be “an insane policy demand,” as some have said. This is not complicated: people want access to affordable health care and they want a government that works. Maine people deserve both, and Republicans should stop standing in the way.”
Angus King, U.S. senator
“I just came from the Senate floor [Tuesday night] where I took one of the most difficult votes I’ve taken since I’ve been in the Senate. I voted to keep the government open for a continuing resolution. The irony of this vote is, many feel that this was an opportunity to stand up to Donald Trump, to vote no and to fight back.
“The irony – the paradox is – by shutting the government, we’re actually giving Donald Trump more power. And that was why I voted yes. I did not want to hand Donald Trump and Russell Vought and Stephen Miller additional power to decimate the federal government, to decimate the programs that are so important to so many people.
“Here is what Donald Trump said just this afternoon: ‘We can do things during a shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them. He means the Democrats like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like. We can do things medically in other ways, including benefits we can cut numbers of people out.’
“Maya Angelou once said, ‘If someone tells you who they are, you should believe them.’ Donald Trump, in this quote, tells us what he plans to do if there’s a shutdown and it will not be good for the American people. This was a difficult vote, but in the end, I could not, in good conscience, vote to shut the government down and hand even greater power to the trio of Donald Trump, Stephen Miller and Russell Vought. This was a vote of conscience on behalf of the State of Maine and the people of the United States.”
Jared Golden, U.S. representative
“This government shutdown is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump. The shutdown is hurting Americans and our economy, and the irony is it has only handed more power to the president. This fight is ostensibly about health care, so let me be clear: I opposed the GOP’s Medicaid cuts and I want to extend the ACA tax credits. But some of my colleagues in the majority party have reasonable concerns about tax credits going to high-income households. There’s room and time to negotiate. But normal policy disagreements are no reason to subject our constituents to the continued harm of this shutdown.”
Cynthia Phinney, Maine AFL-CIO president
“For months, the Trump administration and DOGE have targeted federal employees and gutted federal programs we all rely on, without any accountability. Now the President is shutting down the government because he refuses to bargain in good faith and fix the healthcare crisis that will devastate our rural hospitals and jack up health care costs for working class Mainers. Without a funding agreement, nearly 180 million Americans are facing a health care cost spike—a crisis of the administration’s own making. Upwards of 31,000 low-come Mainers will lose coverage and Maine’s struggling hospitals will lose $24 billion in annual revenue due to the President’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’ In addition, health insurance costs through the Affordable Care Act marketplace will more than double if enhanced subsidies expire at the end of the year. Working families and our rural hospitals simply cannot sustain this massive blow to their budgets – especially while billionaires get tax breaks.
“This administration has already pushed 1 in 8 federal workers — 300,000 people –out the door this year alone. The President has illegally stripped more than 1 million workers of their collective bargaining rights and canceled nearly 480,000 workers’ union contracts. These are men and women — nearly 30 percent of whom are veterans — who deliver essential services to Mainers like Social Security, food and water safety, protecting our national security and care for our veterans. To add insult to injury, the President has announced that he intends to retaliate by firing more federal employees and eliminating programs Mainers rely on. The attacks on workers must end.
“Federal workers and their families should not be used as pawns to play political games. It’s time for the President to end the shutdown, fund the government, fix the healthcare crisis, and stop his illegal attacks on working Americans.”
Maine Democratic Party
“Susan Collins and Washington Republicans are driving up costs on everything and have already put tens of thousands of Mainers on track to lose their health care coverage – now, Collins would rather shut down the government than fix the crises she helped create.”
