
<p>As we near the end of the longest government shutdown in American history, we should examine how it happened. ; While both sides have been putting their spin on the issue, there are some hard facts that should be kept in mind.</p>



<p><strong>Who Caused the Shutdown?</strong></p>



<p>As can be expected, both sides blame the other, but the answer is in the facts. ; Republicans offered a “clean” Continuing Resolution (CR) bill that would have maintained the status quo in terms of government funding &#8230; kept the government functioning &#8230; and allowed for debate on critical issues. ; This has been the procedure several times in the past.</p>



<p>The CR was passed by House Republicans over the “no” votes of House Democrats. ; They were essentially voting for a shutdown. ; But since the GOP was in the majority – and the House does not have the filibuster or two-thirds vote requirement &#8212; the CR passed on a party line vote. ;</p>



<p>It then went to the Senate – which has the 60-vote rule. ; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led his delegation in a “no” vote – although three Democrat senators voted with the Republicans in favor of the CR and against a shutdown. ; Schumer’s action seemed hypocritical since he had previously supported CRs and spoke at length in opposition to government shutdowns. ; It appeared that Schumer’s flip-flop was due to a fear that he would face primary opposition in 2028 from the radical left in his party. ; In other words, Schumer caused all the untoward outcomes of the government shutdown merely to save his seat. ; (Methinks it will not work).</p>



<p>More than half dozen times, the CR was put up for a vote in the Senate. ; Each time, Republican members and three Democrats voted in favor. ; And each time, Schumer produced the “no” votes – prolonging the shutdown and its hardships. ; More than any leader in Washington, Schumer caused the government shutdown. ; Had he followed his own past advice, there would be no shutdown. ; He zigged when he could have zagged.</p>



<p><strong>Democrats lie</strong></p>



<p>Repeatedly throughout the shutdown, Democrats and their media cronies said Republicans were responsible for the shutdown because they controlled the White House, the House and the Senate. ; But the GOP does <strong>not </strong>have full control of the Senate &#8212; or the CR would have passed long ago. ; The filibuster and 60-vote rule gave Democrats the leverage to block the CR and continue the shutdown – and that is exactly what they did.</p>



<p><strong>The CR Versus Healthcare Legislation</strong></p>



<p>Describing the CR as a “clean” bill meant that it only advanced current spending levels. ; There were not legislative changes on other issues. ; The CR gave no benefit to either side in terms of funding pet projects. ; But &#8230; that was until Democrats decided to use their leverage to try to incorporate specific legislative changes as a condition for supporting the CR– mostly dealing with healthcare. ; They were not negotiating, but making unacceptable demands.</p>



<p>Legislative issues are traditionally addressed and debated while the government is functioning, and Congress is in session. ; That is not the case during a government shutdown. ; In other words, Democrats were holding the country hostage in pursuit of their partisan demands.</p>



<p>Legislation on issues is best handled by traditional negotiations within Congress while the government is functioning. ; Attempting to use a shutdown as a vehicle of political blackmail will not work in the long run. Pennsylvania’s Democrat Senator John Fetterman is not only a vote for ending the shutdown, but he has also been outspoken in his criticism of his party for causing the shutdown. “We own it.” he said. ; It has been reported that other moderate Democrat senators are moving toward voting for the CR.</p>



<p><strong>Polling Results</strong></p>



<p>Democrats were buoyed by polling results that generally showed that the American people were inclined to blame President Trump and the GOP for the shutdown. The Democrats’ false fearmongering narratives were working. ; They saw public opinion on the issue as a campaign benefit in the November off-year election and the 2026 midterm elections. ; That is why they would not vote to end the shutdown until after this year’s off-year elections. ; In a candid moment, Schumer even said that “Every day [of the shutdown] gets better for us.”. ; And while polls still put the blame on the GOP, the margins are close and getting closer.</p>



<p><strong>The End of the Shutdown</strong></p>



<p>Democrats cannot allow the shutdown to go on for much longer. ; It is their base – federal workers, unions and welfare recipients &#8212; that is getting hurt the most. ; Already the largest federal employee union – the American Federation of Government Employees ;(AFGE) &#8212; has called on Senate Democrats to pass the CR – as has the Teamsters Union. ; Both the <em>New York Times </em>and the <em>Washington Post</em> have editorialized in favor of passing the CR.</p>



<p>There is only a couple of weeks between the off-year election and Thanksgiving. ; There is no way that Schumer and Senate Democrats can afford to allow the shutdown to impact on the Thanksgiving holiday and the traditional Christmas shopping frenzy of Black Friday.</p>



<p>The end of the government shutdown is near – and the odds favor Democrats caving. ; For all the anxiety and suffering they have caused the American people, they will have achieved nothing. ; The healthcare issue that Democrats feel so strongly about will still need to be negotiated – and ironically, it could have been being negotiated for the past several weeks if Democrats (Schumer) had not shut down the government. ; As with past government shutdowns, there is little ongoing damage – and the scars will heal quickly. ;</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Government Shutdown will be Over Soon
