TIM DONNER: Democrats Threatening A Government Shutdown Are Playing With Fire

If you’re like most people, you have probably long since tired of hearing about a government shutdown.

Every year without fail, Republicans and Democrats spar over continuing resolutions (CRs) to keep the federal government operating for a few weeks or months. Forget passing a full year’s budget. The last time that happened was 28 years ago, in the last century. So here we are again, one day away from yet another threatened closure of non-essential functions of the central state after a meeting between President Donald Trump and the majority and minority leaders from the House and Senate on Monday produced no agreement.

Counting The Ways A Shutdown Could Damage The Democrats

There are multiple reasons to believe the party of the left would pay a steep price for its intransigence. For starters, the GOP-controlled House has already passed a CR that would keep the government operating until Nov. 21 at roughly the same current spending levels. Republicans made no sudden or provocative moves to add or subtract from the existing budget.

Having lost control of both houses of Congress and the presidency, Democrats refuse to admit they are essentially powerless to do anything beyond persuading Republicans to adopt their position or backing down at the last minute. If Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York walk away from the negotiating table with a wary Trump, who has called their demands “unserious,” they will likely be blamed by voters at a time when their approval has dropped to its lowest point in the 21st century. And if they capitulate, they will be scorned, fairly or unfairly, by their angry and frustrated rank and file for failing to fight harder to get their way. They are damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

Specifically, Democrats are demanding a permanent extension of the COVID-era tax credits to the tune of $410 billion, plus several Medicaid-related items: cancellation of work requirements for able-bodied recipients; a repeal of limitations on healthcare provider taxes designed to control Medicaid spending; reversing a new law prohibiting recipients from claiming benefits in more than one state; and allowing illegal immigrants to participate in the program.