Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York predicted that the Democratic Party will lose the shutdown fight because it clung to “conditions to keeping the government running.”

“If you look at shutdowns in the past, there were always two sides, which were one side that says, ‘This policy issue of ours is so important that we won’t let the government to continue to function until we address it,’ and then the other side says, ‘Hold on, let’s just keep the government running, pass a bill and then we can talk about your issue,’” York said Thursday on Fox and Friends. 

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“It’s the side that attaches conditions to keeping the government running that loses in the government shutdown, and that’s where Democrats, at least most Democrats, are right now,” York added.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is leading his coalition of all but three Democratic or Democratic-aligned senators to extend enhanced Obamacare tax credits that expire at the end of the year.

The premium tax credits initially drafted under Obamacare were enhanced under the Biden administration amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to a Congressional Budget Office report, permanently extending the enhanced credits would cost the government $383 billion. However, if they expire, the number of people without health insurance would rise by an average of 3.8 million annually by 2034.

“I think in the end, Republicans will have the upper hand,” York said.

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has teased “imminent” mass federal layoffs that may be permanent rather than temporary furloughs during the shutdown. Vought privately told House Republicans on a call Wednesday that the reduction in force would occur this week.

THE SHUTDOWN FIGHT IS A CRITICAL MOMENT IN THE EXPANSION OF THE GOVERNMENT

Democratic leadership described the possible permanent layoffs as “intimidation tactics” and has remained united through three Senate votes so far.

“Legally, the shutdown has given the administration the opportunity to do this,” York said.