As Republicans show no sign of giving in to their demands, Democrats are facing a difficult decision in the coming days—cave in and allow a Republican-backed stopgap funding bill to pass Congress and keep the government open or allow a partial government shutdown?
The U.S. Senate is currently scheduled to return to work Sept. 29, a day before Congress’ deadline to pass a new spending measure to continue funding government operations. A shutdown could lead to several categories of federal workers not being paid, at least temporarily during the shutdown, as well as interruptions to certain government services.
Republicans are looking to pass a seven-week continuing resolution, which would roughly extend current spending levels—the spending levels of the previous Biden administration. They need at least seven Democrat votes in the Senate to bring the bill to the floor.
Democrats, however, have made big demands to keep the government open, including undoing recently passed cost-saving Medicaid reforms, hamstringing the White House’s ability to rescind certain federal funding, and extending expiring Obamacare health care premium tax credits, which were enhanced during the previous administration.
But on Friday, President Donald Trump, having previously cancelled plans to meet with Democrats about their demands, appeared unbothered while attending the Ryder Cup golf tournament in Farmingdale, New York.
Democrats appeared outraged as it became apparent that Republicans were inviting them to a game of shutdown chicken.
“Here’s the off-ramp: Donald Trump, get back to Washington, D.C. Why are you at a golf event right now? And the government is four days away from closing. That’s outrageous,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said at a press conference Friday.
“They’re on vacation right now. I’m here in Washington, D.C., ready and willing and able to sit down with any of them, any time, any place,” Jeffries continued, referring to House Republicans.
The waning days leading up to a continuing resolution vote may test Democrats’ resolve, especially with the Trump administration threatening in a budget office memo to permanently slash federal programs and jobs in the event of a shutdown.
From the beginning of the discussion, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has made clear he will vote to keep the government open no matter what.
“I fundamentally believe, whether it’s Republicans or Democrats, it’s wrong to shut the government down. It’s one of our core responsibilities. We’re going to get paid. A lot of people that are working around here that make the town work won’t, and they won’t make that up. And it’s like, that’s the thing, I can’t ever vote to hold them hostage,” Fetterman told reporters last week.
Fetterman was one of 10 Senate Democrats to allow a previous continuing resolution to pass in March.
That cooperation in the Senate resulted in backlash from the Democratic Party’s left flank, with Jeffries in the House refusing to comment on whether or not Senate Democrats needed new leadership after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., acquiescence back in March.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who gave her vote for March’s continuing resolution, has already said she is willing to compromise on some Democrat demands this time, so long as Republicans offer some concessions.
“There are a number of ways to get this done that should satisfy both sides,” she said of her demands in a Wednesday interview with Semafor. “I’m not going to draw a line in the sand and say it’s got to be this way or that way.”
On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who is poised to exert maximum pressure on Democrats by scheduling a vote shortly before the funding deadline, said that Democrats should “dial back” their demands.
“I’m a big believer that there’s always a way out,” he told The Associated Press. “And I think there are off-ramps here, but I don’t think that the negotiating position, at least at the moment, that the Democrats are trying to exert here is going to get you there.”
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- ‘Unserious and Ridiculous Demands’: Trump Cancels Budget Talks With Democrats as Shutdown Looms