WASHINGTON — Twenty-two days after the government shutdown, California Rep. Kevin Kiely spent an hour of a morning in Washington leading a group of Grass Valley high school students through the empty hallways of the U.S. Capitol.
Usually one of his employees would give the tour. But during the closure, the Capitol is closed to all tours unless an elected member is present. That's how the students from Lyman Gilmore High School ended up with Keeley, a Republican from Rocklin, as their personal tour guide.
“I would have visited these kids anyway,” Keeley said in his office after the event. “But I actually got to do the whole Capitol tour with them.”
Keeley's impromptu tour is an example of how members of California's congressional delegation are improvising their routines as the shutdown drags on and much of Washington remains at a standstill.
Some are in Washington in case negotiations resume, others have returned home to their districts, meeting with furloughed or unpaid federal workers, giving interviews or visiting community health centers that rely on tax breaks central to budget negotiations. One member attended the groundbreaking for a flood control project in his community. The rest travel back and forth.
“I had to fly back to Washington for caucus meetings when the opposition, the Republicans, don’t even meet or meet,” Rep. Maxine Waters, a longtime Los Angeles Democrat, said in an interview. “We will meet anytime, anywhere, anywhere, with [House Speaker Mike] Johnson, the President and the Senate to do everything possible to open the government. We are absolutely united in this.”
The closure is being felt throughout California, which most federal workers outside of DC. Food assistance benefits for millions of low-income Californians could will be delayed soon. And millions of Californians could see their health care premiums rise sharply if Affordable Care Act subsidies expire.
For the California delegation, the consequences at home became impossible to ignore. However, the quarantine continues for the fourth week, and there is no end in sight.
In the House of Representatives, Johnson refused to call House members back into session and prevented them from doing legislative work. Many California lawmakers, including Keeley, one of the few GOP lawmakers to openly criticize him, were alarmed by the impasse.
“I certainly emphasized the point that the House must be in session, and that canceling a month-long session would not do anything good for the House or for the country,” Keeley said, noting that he had met with Johnson privately.
Keeley, who represented parts of suburban Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, faces political uncertainty as California voters decide whether to approve Proposition 50 on Nov. 4. The measure would redraw the state's congressional districts in favor of Democrats, putting Keeley at risk, although the Republican says he believes he can still win if his right-leaning district is redrawn.
The Senate was more active, holding a series of votes and congressional hearings with Atty. General Pam Bondi and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The House, however, was unable to reach an agreement to reopen the government. On Thursday, the 23rd day of the shutdown, the Senate failed to propose competing measures that would pay federal workers who work without compensation.
The Republican plan would have paid active-duty military and some federal employees during the shutdown. Democrats supported the bill, which would provide pay for all federal workers and prohibit the Trump administration from firing new federal employees.
“California has one of the largest federal workforces in the country, and no federal worker or military member should lose their pay because Donald Trump and Republicans refused to come to the table to protect Americans' health care,” Sen. Alex Padilla said in a statement.
Working conditions are becoming more difficult
The strain on federal employees, including those who work for California's 54-member delegation, is beginning to become more apparent.
Dozens of them work full time without pay. Their responsibilities include answering phone calls and constituent inquiries, setting elected officials' work schedules, writing policy notes and handling communications for their offices.
House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke about the shutdown at a news conference Thursday with other House Republican members.
(Eric Lee/Getty Images)
House staffers, who are paid monthly, are expected to miss their first paycheck at the end of October.
Some have been quietly advised to consider borrowing money from the U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union, which offers “Government Closing Assistance Loan Program” this includes an interest-free loan of up to $5,000, repayable in full after 90 days.
The mundane was also disturbed. Some cafeterias and coffee shops that are usually open to employees are closed. Lines to enter office buildings are long because fewer entrances are open.
The hallways leading to the offices of California's elected officials are quiet, save for the faint sounds of the occasional elevator ding. Many of their doors are decorated with signs showing who they blame for the government shutdown.
“Trump and the Republicans have shut down the government,” reads a sign on the door leading to the office of Rep. Norma Torres (D-Pomona). “Our office is OPEN – WORKING for the American people.”
Rep. Ted Lieu, a Torrance Democrat, posted a similar sign outside his office.
The sign is posted outside the office of Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., in Washington on Wednesday.
(Ana Ceballos/Los Angeles Times)
Rep. Vince Fong, a Republican who represents the Central Valley, was traveling between Washington and his district. Two weeks after the closure, he met with veterans of the Central Valley Honor Flight and the Kern County Honor Flight to ensure their planned tour of the Capitol was not disrupted by the closure. As with Keeley's schoolchildren tour, the presence of a featured participant was required for the tour to continue.
“His presence ensured the tour could continue as planned,” Fong’s office said.
During the tour, veterans were also able to see Johnson, his office said.
Closure highlights deep divisions
California's congressional delegation reflects a broader impasse in Washington, where entrenched positions have left both sides in a negotiating impasse.
Democrats are steadfast in their position that they won't agree to a deal unless Republicans extend Affordable Care Act tax breaks that are set to expire at the end of the year, while Republicans blame Democrats for failing to reopen the government for political gain.
Keeley is one of a handful of Republicans who have called on Johnson to negotiate with Democrats on health care. Keeley said he believes there is “a lot of room for negotiation” as both sides are concerned about the tax breaks expiring.
“If people see a dramatic increase in their insurance premiums … that's not good,” he said. “Especially in California, where the cost of living is already so high and you suddenly have to pay a lot more for health care.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, spoke with five other California Democrats at a news conference Wednesday about the need to fight for health care credits.
Garcia, of Long Beach, said he recently visited a health center in San Bernardino County that serves seniors with disabilities. He said the cuts would be “devastating” and lead to the center's closure.
“That's why we're doing everything in our power to get a deal that will reopen the federal government and save health care,” he said.
As the shutdown continues, many Democrats have stubbornly resisted the issue.
For example, at an Oct. 3 event outside Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Rep. Laura Friedman held a news conference with nurses and hospital staff and said she would not vote on a government reopening bill unless a health care deal was reached.
The Glendale Democrat said last week that her position had not changed.
“I will not support a shutdown agreement that deprives tens of thousands of my constituents of health care,” she said.
