It’s supposed to go like this: Lawmakers make the law, and the president then enforces it. That very obvious function of government might help the Republican party prevent a government shutdown later this week.
In recent instances of fiscal brinksmanship, it’s been the demands of congressional factions, not the White House, that have threatened to stall the process. Sen. Ted Cruz and a band of conservatives wanted to gut Obamacare through a must-pass appropriations bill in 2013. That same year, the House GOP did not want to raise the debt ceiling without also passing spending cuts. It’s simple: Members of Congress can hold up Congress.
The president can’t, not without a constituency of members. The Trump administration had been asking for money for a border wall in a bill that continues government funding beyond April 28. But that particular priority—at this moment in time—has appeared unique to the White House. On one side of aisle, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said last weekend that the president was “the only fly in the ointment” on spending negotiations. On the other side, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, House speaker Paul Ryan, and other top Republicans have not touted wall funding as a present necessity.
Part of the silence is surely attributable to disagreements within the GOP on the merits of the project. Sen. Lindsey Graham has called it “probably not a smart investment.” Rep. Will Hurd, a Texas Republican whose district is adjacent to Mexico for hundreds of miles, has said a wall “is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border.”
There was speculation in the press as far back as last month that Republicans would “stiff” the president on this issue. For now, it appears the administration has backed off: Trump told reporters Monday evening he was OK revisiting the matter in September, Fox News wrote, and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway echoed that position Tuesday morning. CNN reporter David Wright tweeted later in the day that an administration official said Trump expected to get funding “started” this fiscal year, but not that he was willing to risk a shutdown to do it.
Thus leaving Congress to do what it will. Absent any other obvious sticking points, that would appear to be keeping the government’s lights on beyond the end of this week.
