WASHINGTON (AP) — The president aims to grasp the power beyond Executive branch. Congress is controlled by Republicans who don’t want to directly defy him. And what the minority parties want is all the ways to fight back.
This dynamic led to a stalemate in Washington on Thursday, the ninth day. government shutdown And lawmakers are venting their frustrations publicly, trying to gain support without gaining the trust that is fundamental to bipartisan agreement.
“Having a dialogue in good faith requires trust, and trust has big challenges,” said Rep. Brad Schneider, chairman of the New Democratic Coalition, a pragmatic group of House Democrats.
parliamentary group They are gathering to eat dinner, talk on the phone and have private meetings as they try to brainstorm ways out of a standoff that has shut down the government, kept hundreds of thousands of federal workers at home, and threatened to retire without a payday. But lawmakers are faced with the reality that relations between the two parties are deeply fractured.
“We’re in an environment where we need more than a handshake,” said Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat who has been consulting with Republicans.
president donald trump And so far, Republicans have remained steadfast in their stance that they will only negotiate on Democratic demands for health care benefits after they pass a deal to reopen the government. They also argue that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is beholden to the party’s left wing and is simply orchestrating a closed-door fight to prevent a primary contest.
“There are some things that I think both sides would be interested in trying to address when it comes to health care in this country,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday. “But we cannot hold the federal government hostage and expect a rational dialogue on these issues.”
When a handshake isn’t enough
Democrats say they can’t just take Trump’s word for it and that any deal needs to go beyond verbal commitments.
“Donald Trump doesn’t respect the law if he can ignore it and enforce it, so I think there needs to be some kind of safeguard,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut.
Conflicts over spending authority were already heating up before the government shutdown, as the White House sought to assert maximum control over the budget approved by Congress. The White House Budget Office canceled numerous government contractsThis includes completely separating the legislative branch. Cut foreign aid by $4.9 billion In August, after a legally dubious process known as a “pocket decision,”
This infuriated Democrats and some Republicans who criticized it as executive overreach.
“Honestly, I hate revocation unless it’s approved by Congress,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina.
Matt Glassman, a research fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Governmental Studies, said the president’s use of revocation “explodes the fundamental dynamics of negotiations” by introducing intense partisanship into the appropriations process, which requires compromise, especially in the Senate.
Then, as the government entered a shutdown, Trump’s budget director, Russ Vought, argued that the president would be given even more powers. fire a worker And even more cancel payment deadline Once the funding gap is resolved, it will be provided to furloughed federal employees. Vought also announced that the government had issued an injunction. Billions of dollars for infrastructure projects In states with Democratic senators who voted in favor of the shutdown.
President Trump blamed Vought’s actions on obstruction by Democrats and even shared a video depicting him as the Grim Reaper. But there is a sense on Capitol Hill that heavy-handed tactics are making negotiations difficult.
“I think carrots work better for senators than sticks,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota.
One Democratic idea could win Republican support
Ahead of the vote to reopen the government, Democrats’ main demand is that Congress take up the extension of health insurance subsidies provided under the Affordable Care Act. President Trump has expressed a positive attitude toward the agreement, saying he wants “excellent health care” for Americans.
What has received less attention is that Democrats also want to create new safeguards in the law that would limit the White House’s ability to withdraw or cancel funds already approved by Congress. The final spending bill is still being developed, but Republicans have welcomed the idea.
“Once the government shutdown ends and we get back to normal order within the spending bill, it will become very clear how we feel about canceling the spending bill,” said Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I think we will have strong, solid support from Republicans to see what we agreed to be implemented.”
Meanwhile, the main issue for lawmakers this week was finding an agreement to extend health care subsidies.
Impact of prolonged shutdown
Lawmakers are looking ahead as the shutdown drags on with no sign of major progress toward breaking the impasse. till date When federal employees miss payday.
Active-duty military personnel will not be paid their paychecks on October 15th. Some lawmakers are nervous about both the financial impact on the military and the political backfire of allowing soldiers to serve without pay.
In a debate with Democrats on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson noted that House Republicans have already passed a stopgap bill that would “keep the government window open to make sure TSA workers, Border Patrol workers, military, and everyone else gets paid.”
There has been discussion in Congress about passing some government funding legislation to ensure military pay, but so far Republicans are trying to keep up pressure on Democrats to vote in favor of the bill.
Lawmakers appear ready to push each other to the brink.
“If I were anybody, I wouldn’t challenge Donald Trump’s resolve on this issue,” Cramer said.
