Take 2 Podcast: Sen. John Curtis shares why he believes stalemate was 'pre-determined'

On day 22 of the government shutdown, Utah Sen. John Curtis sat down with Heidi Hatch to share why he believes the stalemate was “pre-determined,” driven by partisan politics. Before the interview, Curtis voted for the 12th time to reopen the government with a continuing resolution that failed 54-46, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Three Democrats voted with Republicans, but no additional Democrats crossed the aisle. At 22 days, the shutdown is now the second-longest funding lapse in modern history, surpassed only by the 35-day shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019. Curtis said a short-term continuing resolution may be necessary to get the government reopened, but it’s not a long-term solution. “It doesn’t make sense to keep the government closed when the very people we’re trying to help with high premiums are also the ones losing SNAP benefits,” he said. He noted that since 1974, Congress has only passed a budget on time four times, often relying on continuing resolutions or shutdowns that end in massive omnibus spending bills. Curtis is pushing a new approach modeled after Utah’s baseline budget system, where prior-year funding automatically carries over until new appropriations are passed. “Instead of a shutdown, an omnibus, or a CR, we’d simply stay on the previous appropriation,” he said, calling it a plan that promotes fiscal responsibility. Still, Curtis said Washington has grown accustomed to crisis politics. “Both Republicans and Democrats are part of the problem,” he said. “It’s a fair accusation.” While he said he understands the frustration of families facing higher health premiums, Curtis believes tying those costs to shutdown negotiations is inappropriate. On federal subsidies, he added, “People like free things once we give them free things. It’s near impossible to undo that. Do people at 400% of poverty really need zero premium? Maybe they need some help, but certainly not zero premium — and yet, how do you take that back?” As the Senate remains gridlocked and the House out of session, Curtis warned the shutdown could last “a long time” unless public pressure builds. He outlined potential off-ramps and pointed to his own proposals — such as a baseline budget bill and an automatic spending cut plan — as ways to prevent future shutdowns. Hatch also asked Curtis about rising beef prices and President Trump’s plan to import beef from Argentina, pressing whether the move could help or hurt Utah ranchers. Curtis also discusses his new bill on forest fire mitigation, the East Wing Ballroom renovation, energy prices, and the future of energy in Utah. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.