WASHINGTON – The government shutdown is getting worse, and members of Congress are starting to realize it.
That's why they've begun proposing more standalone bills that, while not capable of fully reopening the government, would address the crisis' biggest pain points – from an impending lapse in funding for food stamps to widespread concern over military pay.
Rank-and-file lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, seem to increasingly acknowledge that at some point soon, something's got to give.
"We can work out a lot of the issues we have," said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota. "We don't need to have the rest of government held hostage."
"I really don't think the people at home right now who are about to lose their SNAP benefits, (whose) health care premiums are doubling, tripling, quadrupling ... I don't think those people are thinking about Democrats or Republicans," said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia. "They're trying to figure out how to make their families whole."
