After an extended period of what they view as unrestrained moves by the administration, Lawmaking Democrats have found a battlefield where they believe they can successfully resist Republican policies.
When pressed to approve a Republican-led measure to fund the government through late fall, Democrats refused, instead presenting a list of demands that would reverse several significant GOP achievements from the past year.
The strategy was unacceptable for Republicans, and after an extended period of intense discussion and fruitless balloting, the federal government entered a shutdown in the middle of the night of Wednesday. From their perspective, this could be a calculated chance to rebuild their case with the public after suffering setbacks in the last balloting.
"We are engaged in a righteous battle. No other struggle more important than this one," stated Senator Elizabeth Warren during a live stream with other members of her party just prior to the final votes on the night before the shutdown.
Health Policy as Central Focus of the Opposition Requests
On the surface, the party are battling to defend medical coverage, a longtime focus for their base. They are calling for the cancellation of Medicaid reductions previously approved by the GOP, along with extended subsidies for health plans under the Affordable Care Act, reinstated financial support for public media, and a prohibition on described as indirect efforts to reduce foreign aid.
Broader Political Background
However, the dispute also stems from a desire to confront a president viewed as uniquely harmful at a moment when he could be electorally vulnerable. Approval ratings for the president are submerged, worse than those of his predecessor at the equivalent stage in his tenure. Price increases persist uncontrolled despite previous assurances, while the job market seems uncertain. Additionally, the issue of free speech—previously advocated by conservatives—has arisen as a point of contention after administration representatives attacked those who disagreed regarding a recent murdered right-wing figure.
"People are going to suffer by a shutdown, but they’re also going to get hurt if their insurance costs increase by a large percentage when other expenses are rising—the price of car repairs, the price of food, the price of school supplies," commented Connecticut lawmaker Chris Murphy. "And, people are going to experience harm by a federal system that’s … lawless, because if you are unable to express opinions in this country without consequences, that entails a price as well."
Vermont independent Bernie Sanders, who sides with the Democratic conference, added during the online event: "We face a leader who doesn’t believe in the constitution, disregards the rule of law, misleads constantly."
Senate as Primary Battleground
The Senate is the main stage for this conflict because the supermajority requirement for nearly all bills gives the minority influence they do not have in the House of Representatives. The caucus had the option to made this stand in the spring, when federal appropriations last expired, but then the Democratic leader hesitated, triggering significant backlash from the party’s base.
Now, however, the leader is onboard, as are the groups that rally his constituents—a fact observed with some resentment by GOP members after both sides rejected each other’s funding proposals.
"The minority party have sacrificed the American people to Democrats’s political agendas. I hope it will be some comfort for citizens dealing with closed government services to know that various far-left groups are pleased with this decision," remarked the Senate majority leader, John Thune.
Potential Consequences and Dangers
Past government closures have resulted in government employees not receiving salaries and operations the citizens depends on—such as federal agencies and national parks—shutting their doors.
Additionally, the administration’s budget director has pledged to make this shutdown particularly damaging by employing it as a opportunity to dismiss government employees—something the administration has allegedly been doing since January.
Yet, there are already signs that some Democrats are nervous about this threat. Three voted for a GOP bill to continue funding on Tuesday evening, with worry about what the administration might do during a shutdown being a shared fear.
"Several believe that this was an occasion to confront Donald Trump, to reject and to fight back. The irony, the paradox is, by shutting the government, we’re actually granting Donald Trump greater authority," said Angus King, the Maine unaffiliated who aligns with Democrats.
The hard reality for Democrats is that past closures have seldom worked in gaining concessions for the side that instigates them. Republicans probably need only five more defectors from the minority to pass their legislation through the Senate, and they say they will keep holding votes in a attempt to exploit the minority anxiety that was evident on the evening of the vote.
"I have concerns with either side’s approach right now," said New Hampshire lawmaker Jeanne Shaheen, whose retirement next year will require Democrats to contest a legislative position in a swing state. "In my view that what’s been lacking has been a dedication from the chief executive, who’s in charge of all three branches of the federal system, and he doesn’t seem to be engaged."
