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In the Trump White House fantasy world, Democrats could be ignored, and the party could ram a government funding bill through Congress on its own, avoiding a shutdown.
With the Democrats still in shock after the 2024 election defeat, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made a grave political miscalculation when he treated the first government funding deadline of the year like business as usual, and he caved to the president and got nothing in return.
The blowback that Schumer faced from within his own party was so severe that there were questions about his political future.
Chuck Schumer didn’t get where he is today by not being smart.
To his credit, Schumer has adjusted his strategy to where his party’s supporters are, which means that the current government funding deadline is very different from the last time Congress was in this position.
Republicans in Congress still don’t understand that they are going to need Democratic votes to keep the government open, which means reversing some spending cuts in the area of healthcare.
Then there’s the question of what Democrats will demand in exchange for their support. In OMB Director Russ Vought’s fever dream, Democrats can be ignored. But you need 60 votes in the Senate to pass anything, so Democrats are going to want to see engagement from Republicans.
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What Republicans don’t seem to fully grasp is that they can’t simply give the Democrats nothing. Senate Democrats aren’t going to support a CR because Republicans say it’s the right thing to do. As we noted, Schumer tried that play before, and it didn’t work out.
What Democrats want is for the Obamacare subsidies to be restored, but that is the most urgent healthcare cut facing the country. Democrats also want the Medicaid and SNAP cuts, but those cuts don’t phase in until 2026 and 2028, so those issues can be worked on in the future.
If Republicans insist on trying to get a funding bill that goes through the midterm election, Democrats are going to want the Medicaid and SNAP cuts reversed.
Republicans are bumbling their way into a disaster of their own making, and this time, Chuck Schumer understands that this isn’t business as usual, and Democrats aren’t going to allow him to make a bad deal.
If Democrats are serious about regaining power, they need to show it by playing hardball on the government shutdown deadline.
What do you think Democrats should ask for in exchange for keeping the government open? Share your thoughts in the comments below.