With a government shutdown deadline looming, Republican leaders are standing firm against Democratic demands tied to a new funding bill.
Despite growing urgency in Washington, GOP leadership has signaled it will not bend to pressure over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, setting up a high-stakes standoff as congressional leaders prepare to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.
Republicans insist that Congress should pass what they call a “clean” funding bill, free of the Democratic request to continue the ACA subsidies. They have shifted blame to Democrats, accusing them of withholding critical votes in the Senate and risking a shutdown.
“It’s totally up to the Democrats. This is – the ball is in their court. There is a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate right now – we could pick it up today and pass it – that has been passed by the House, that will be signed into law by the president to keep the government open,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise echoed Thune’s message on ABC’s This Week, adding: “So right now, it’s over in the Senate, and it’s on (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer and Democrats in the Senate to keep the government from shutting down. And I hope they’ll come to their senses and do that early next week.”
Although Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress as well as the White House, Senate rules require at least seven Democrats to join them to secure passage of the spending bill. Democratic leaders, however, remain firm in their stance. Without a deal on subsidies, they have vowed not to provide the needed votes.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized his party’s position during an appearance on ABC, saying: “Our position has been very clear: cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save healthcare.” While stressing his hope to avoid a shutdown, Jeffries maintained that the responsibility lies with Republicans.
The impasse sets the stage for Monday’s White House meeting with President Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Thune, Schumer, and Jeffries. Johnson, however, declined to outline whether Trump is open to making concessions. “I’m not going to get in front of the President and tell you what he will do, but I talked with him, you know, a couple of times, even yesterday and I’m telling you where his head is. He wants to bring in the leaders, to come in and act like leaders and do the right thing for the American people,” Johnson said on CNN’s State of the Union.
Democrats, meanwhile, are planning their own strategy session. A Democratic source confirmed that Senate Democrats will hold a Sunday afternoon conference call to align their caucus ahead of Tuesday’s funding deadline.
The potential consequences of a shutdown are serious. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers could face furloughs or delayed paychecks, while services across key agencies such as the IRS and the U.S. National Park Service would be disrupted.
Some Democrats have argued that Republicans, and particularly Trump, are to blame for the stalemate. “It’s important for Democrats to use their leverage this time,” Rep. Seth Moulton said on CNN’s Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju. He criticized the president for not engaging directly, adding, “(Trump’s) been playing golf all weekend rather than having these negotiations (…) This is Donald Trump’s decision whether the government shuts down.”
As the deadline nears, the clash between Republicans and Democrats shows little sign of easing. With both sides digging in, the fate of federal funding, and the livelihoods of many Americans, hangs in the balance.
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