Democrats embrace government shutdowns in Trump 2.0
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
The pressure is rising on Democrats to stiff President Trump and let the government shut down on Oct. 1.
Why it matters: Plunging into a shutdown is risky for Democratic leaders, who rejected the option earlier this year. But a shutdown fight might be the only action that appeases their deeply unsatisfied party base.
- Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but they'll need at least seven Democratic votes to pass a funding bill.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is pressing Republican leaders to come to the table on a bipartisan deal. He argues the ball is in their court to avoid a shutdown.
Zoom in: A crowd ranging from Senate progressives like Elizabeth Warren and Chris Murphy to center-left New York Times columnist Ezra Klein is clamoring for Democrats to play hardball.
- Klein's recent column told Democrats they can't help Trump fund the government in "the authoritarian consolidation stage of this presidency."
- The argument has been flying around the Senate Democratic caucus, sources told Axios.
The big picture: Some Democrats called for Schumer's ouster in March when he voted with Republicans to fund the government. He reasoned at the time that a shutdown would do more harm than good.
- Since then, Trump has clawed back billions in federal funds appropriated by Congress, signed legislation that guts the Affordable Care Act and deployed the National Guard to U.S. cities.
- House Democrats worried Tuesday that Schumer would repeat his vote from March.
- "The overriding concern was that Senate Democrats will get cold feet," one House Democrat told Axios' Andrew Solender.
Between the lines: Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have repeatedly requested meetings with GOP leaders on the funding deadline. Republicans have ignored those requests.
- "What Republicans should do ... is commit to working on bipartisan legislation to undo some of the terrible things Donald Trump has done during his time in office," Schumer said Monday on the Senate floor.
Zoom out: The emerging option on Capitol Hill is a short-term stopgap bill to stave off a shutdown and give lawmakers room to negotiate a larger spending deal. But Democrats have made clear their votes will come with a price.
- The top ask circulating on Capitol Hill is extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits that are due to expire at the end of the year.
- House Republicans have warned this would be a tough vote. The estimated price tag is $335 billion over 10 years.
The bottom line: It just takes seven Senate Democrats to vote to avoid a shutdown.
- One of them is Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who earlier this year vehemently argued against shutting down the government.
- "It was wrong for the Republicans to do it," he told HuffPost on Tuesday. "It's wrong for us to do it, too."