The government shutdown could turn into a protracted debacle as Washington lawmakers on both sides of the aisle appear unlikely to be headed toward a compromise.
Congress’s failure to reach a government funding deal resulted in the first shutdown in years on Wednesday. Republicans and Democrats are locked in a stalemate, with Democrats demanding expanded government-subsidized healthcare and Republicans calling for a temporary continuing resolution before dealing with that issue.
The deadlock may not end soon if the attitudes of leaders on both sides of the debate are any indication.
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President Donald Trump declined to take a reconciliatory stance after Democrats blocked efforts to keep the government open in a vote on Tuesday, posting mocking artificial intelligence videos and photos ridiculing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
And despite meeting with Trump in a last-ditch effort to make a deal, Schumer dug deeper into the opposition. After he rallied his caucus members ahead of a vote on Tuesday, only three deviated from Democrats in backing a GOP-backed measure to keep the government open. Republicans need five Democrats to join them to pass the continuing resolution.
Schumer faces intense pressure not to reach a deal with Trump, even as he has floated a seven-to-10-day stopgap funding bill as a contingency plan to reopen a shuttered government “to give vulnerable moderates in his party something to vote for,” according to NBC News. The more vocal and liberal faction within his party has pushed Schumer to resist anything backed by Trump. Adhering to any demands of Republicans will only hurt his approval rating among his own caucus further.
Schumer already faced fierce backlash from liberal groups for allowing a government funding bill to advance to a final vote in March.
And Republicans are unlikely to give concessions, including Democrats’ push to include enhanced Obamacare subsidies, in what the GOP wants to be a clean funding measure.
“This is entirely being driven by the progressive Left that just wants to oppose anything and everything that Donald Trump is doing,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told Politico. “They think shutting down the government is going to stop it. What’s going to happen is giving the executive more power in the process. They’re going to regret this.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said Tuesday afternoon that Democrats had voted for continuing resolutions to keep the government funded 13 times when they were in the majority.
“It begs the question as to what’s changed. And I think what’s changed is President Trump is in the White House. That’s what this is about. This is politics, and there isn’t any substantive reason why there ought to be a government shutdown,” he said.
Thune is hopeful he can convince a few more Senate Democrats to join Republicans in backing a clean spending bill. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have signaled they could be open to talks, giving Thune leeway into negotiations.
The timeline of any deal, however, remains uncertain. The House is in recess this week, but the Senate is convening on Wednesday for further debate. Votes on a stopgap spending measure could be called on Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday.
“All it takes is five Democrats to join Republicans to pass the clean, nonpartisan funding bill that’s in front of us,” Thune said. “And I hope, I really hope, that some of them will join us to reopen the government, resume bipartisan appropriations work, and get back to the business of the American people.”
Both sides will likely face growing pressure from constituents to reach a compromise due to fallout over the gridlock.
A government shutdown means roughly 750,000 federal workers face furloughs. The Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russell Vought, has threatened to fire numerous government workers, with many offices to be shuttered, perhaps permanently.
The government shutdown could have a significant effect on other services, affecting millions of residents across the country.
During the last shutdown, which lasted a record 35 days in Trump’s first term, delays to air travel were caused in part by federal air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents who were not getting paid for calling out sick.
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National parks could also face closures, sparking outcry.
The National Park Service announced that parks will be partially open, with open-air sites available to the public. Buildings that require staff to operate will be closed. But the National Parks Conservation Association has called for parks to be closed, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public.
