A PARTISAN STANDOFF OVER HEALTH CARE AND SPENDING IS THREATENING TO TRIGGER THE FIRST U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN ALMOST SEVEN YEARS.

THE GOVERNMENT WILL SHUT DOWN AT 11 a.m. CENTRAL Time IF THE Senate DOES NOT PASS A HOUSE MEASURE THAT WOULD EXTEND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SEVEN WEEKS WHILE LAWMAKERS FINISH THEIR WORK ON ANNUAL SPENDING BILLS.

IT'S SIMILAR TO THE EXTENSION THAT PASSED IN March WITH FAIRLY LARGE Democratic SUPPORT.

U.S. rEP. MIKE FLOOD OF NEBRASKA WAS AMONG THE YES VOTES ON THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION IN THE HOUSE.

HE TOLD NEWS CHANNEL NEBRASKA TUESDAY MORNING HE'S SURPRISED TO SEE Democrats TAKE SUCH A HARD LINE THIS TIME AROUND.

"I'm at a loss to understand why the Democrats are doing this. Other than Sen. Chuck Schumer did the right thing back in March. He paid a high price among his base and the far left. And they basically said, we don't want you working with Donald Trump," Flood said.

THE BIGGEST STICKING POINT FOR Democrats IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT EVEN A PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, THE EXTENSION OF HEALTH CARE SUBSIDIES PUT IN PLACE DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT ARE SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.

DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP SAYs THEY WANT THE SUBSIDIES IMMEDIATELY EXTENDED. THEY HAVE ALSO DEMANDED THAT Republicans REVERSE THE Medicaid CUTS THAT WERE ENACTED AS A PART OF TRUMP'S “BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL” THIS SUMMER.

"They'd rather shut the government down than protect the health care of the American people. That's unfathomable, That's unacceptable, That's unconscionable, And that's unAmerican," Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said.

BUT CONGRESSMAN FLOOD ISN'T MOVED.

HE SAYS THE BUDGET PROCESS IS A SEPARATE ISSUE, ONE THAT'S ALREADY BEING UNDERTAKEN BY LAWMAKERS WHO ARE BEING UNDERCUT BY PARTISAN POLITICS.

"There's Republicans, there's Democrats, and then there's appropriators. And the people that sit on that committee are used to working in a bipartisan matter and they usually can come to some consensus. The last thing I want on November 21st is another continued resolution, I want a main line budget and I'm ready to negotiate and be a part of that conversation," Flood said.

THE LAST SHUTDOWN WAS IN TRUMP’S FIRST TERM FROM DECEMBER 2018 TO JANUARY 2019 WHEN HE DEMANDED THAT Congress GIVE HIM MONEY FOR HIS U.S.-MEXICO BORDER WALL.

TRUMP RETREATED AFTER THE LONGEST SHUTDOWN EVER AMID INTENSIFYING AIRPORT DELAYS AND MISSED PAYDAYS FOR FEDERAL WORKERS.