Copyright The Oregonian
Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden need to help end the government shutdown now. Their refusal to approve a clean continuing resolution is hurting Americans including their own constituents here in Oregon. The continuing resolution – a “CR” – would largely maintain current funding while the budgeting process proceeds. It is an often-used temporary fix that both parties should and normally would agree on. But Democrats don’t want to engage in the normal budgeting process to address health care subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. They want to jam these COVID-era Affordable Care Act subsidies into the CR and are putting government food assistance for the needy, air travel safety and reliability, government workers’ livelihood and a myriad of other needed government services in dire jeopardy. Two Democrats and one independent in the Senate have already seen the need of putting people above party politics and have voted for the CR. Both of our senators must do the same and help end this madness now. Charles White, Beaverton
