
<p>We have yet another government shutdown. ; Before we get into the issues at hand, we need to remind ourselves that his would not be happening if Congress were to do its job. ;</p>



<p>Each year, Congress is supposed to approve 12 appropriations bills before the fiscal year begins on October 1. These bills fund everything from defense to education. However, in recent decades, lawmakers have increasingly relied on temporary measures known as Continuing Resolutions (CRs) and so-called stopgap funding bills.</p>



<p>The last time Congress completed the full budget process before the start of the fiscal year was for Fiscal Year 1997. Yep! More than a quarter of a century ago. Since then, the federal government has limped from one CR to another, with shutdowns becoming a recurring symptom of congressional failure. The very idea of a stopgap spending bill is to simply advance current spending to allow time for negotiations without shutting down most of the federal government. These shutdowns are not inevitable—they are the result of legislative dysfunction.</p>



<p>So, here we are again. ; Another government shutdown. ; How long will it last? ; What will the impacts be? ; When will it end? ; We do not know – but we can speculate on why it is happening again. ;</p>



<p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has done a 180-degree reversal from his position on the March Republican spending bill. ; Schumer was correct back in March when he warned that a shutdown would be harmful to the American people. That it would provide President Trump with exceptional powers to do things Democrats oppose – such as permanently terminating tens of thousands of federal employees. ; Schumer said a shutdown would be “catastrophic”. ;</p>



<p>But now, under pressure from the left wing of his party, Schumer and his colleagues are doing precisely what he cautioned against. And why the change? ; It is obvious. He hopes to avoid a primary challenge from the left.</p>



<p>Democrats are blocking the Republican stopgap spending bill – officially the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act &#8212; that would keep the government open to November 21 &#8212; all in pursuit of a laundry list of left-wing priorities that would add trillions of dollars in permanent spending. ;</p>



<p>Such Democrat proposals would normally be subject to an ongoing negotiating process. They have no place in a short-term emergency funding measure. ; But Democrats are holding the federal government hostage in an effort win Republican approval of their spending proposals. ; ; Ain’t gonna happen.</p>



<p>The shutdown could mean hundreds of thousands of federal workers being furloughed or even permanently laid off. ; Passport processing will slow to a crawl, national parks may close, and small businesses that rely on federal loans or permits will be left in limbo. Contractors will go unpaid. The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that shutdowns can shave points off GDP growth, hurting the economy at large.</p>



<p>The Schumer strategy has handed the Trump administration a unique ability to undertake reductions-in-force aligned with administration priorities for a smaller less intrusive federal government. ; Trump has already said that some good can come out of a shutdown &#8212; but not for Democrats. ;</p>



<p>This is a golden opportunity for Trump to reshape the federal bureaucracy, and the Democrats are handing it to him on a silver platter. Their refusal to compromise is not principled resistance—it is political malpractice.  ;Trump has a pat hand and he is not about to give Democrats anything more than a Cheshire Cat smile as he watches them squirm in response to their own foolish strategy. ; Trump has no reason to kowtow to Democrat demands. He has made it clear that he will not entertain “unserious and ridiculous” proposals from the radical left – and that is about all they are offering.</p>



<p>Not all services will cease. Social Security checks will still go out. Essential services—such as air traffic control, law enforcement, the military, and emergency response—will continue. Much to the chagrin of Democrat mayors and governors, ICE will continue to be funded – but billions of dollars in federal aid to cities and states may be put on hold – or cancelled permanently. ; It may provide another opportunity to effectively put an end to the Department of Education.</p>



<p>By all accounts, the Democrats have painted themselves into a corner. ; As the government starts grinding to a halt in the days ahead – and if the shutdown goes into weeks and months – the pressure will grow on Senate Democrats to vote in favor of the GOP bill. ; It will not be Trump or the Republicans who bear the brunt of public outrage—it will be Senate Democrats and their recalcitrance who will feel the mounting pressure. ;</p>



<p>Opposition to the GOP bill is already undermined by Democrat Senators who have rejected Schumer’s strategy and have voted for the bill. ;  ;We saw three Democrat senators &#8212; John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, and independent Angus King &#8212; vote for the GOP bill on the first round. ; As the bill comes up for a vote every day, it is likely to receive a trickle of Democrat votes – until at least eight Democrat senators vote for the GOP bill &#8212; and it passes. ; End of shutdown. ;</p>



<p>The radical left—figures like Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Sheldon Whitehouse and other hardcore left-wingers—have convinced Schumer to drive the Democratic train off a cliff. They see this moment as a chance to “stand and fight,” to look tough, but they are fighting the wrong battle – a losing battle. The American people want stability, not ideological warfare. They want their government to function, not to be held hostage by partisan obstinance.</p>



<p>Eventually, cooler heads will prevail, and the Republican stopgap bill will pass. But damage will be done &#8212; and conversely, gains will be made on the Trump agenda. Blame is likely to eventually fall squarely on those who allowed Trump Derangement Syndrome to trump common sense and political savvy. ;</p>



<p>The Democrats have put the nation into an unnecessary shutdown. ; Millions of people will suffer. ; Some federal employees will never return to their jobs. ; Important – if not deemed to be “essential” – services will create hardships for lack of immediate funding. ; Programs favored by Democrats may cease to exist. ; And what will Democrats have gained? ; Nothing.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Democrats Have Decided a Government Shutdown is Good Politics.
