The government has entered its second day of a shutdown, and it now appears that we could have an extended closure, one that lasts much longer than anyone originally thought.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has really backed himself into a corner, trying to play the tough guy after taking heat for having approved the first continuing resolution (CR) under the Trump administration.
With Dems not backing down from their demands, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has decided to walk away from negotiations.
While three Democrats have already folded, the GOP will need five more to break if they are going to get the continuing resolution (CR) passed.
Schumer, however, has dug in, and most of the Democrat caucus, at least for now, is firmly standing behind him on this issue, even amid threats that the Office of Management and Budget's chief, Russ Vought, is poised to slash jobs in the interim.
For instance, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) stated, "Russ Vought is a menace whether the government is open or closed. He wakes up figuring, ‘What damage can I do today?’ That's what he does. So, the status of government [being] open or closed, it's not relevant to Russell Vought. He just goes on his rampage every day."
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) added, "How long can Republicans explain to the American people that they want to do nothing to help pay for health insurance?” That is not true, however, as the GOP is blocking the funding requested because it would benefit asylum seekers and other migrants that former President Joe Biden moved from the illegal to legal columns by exploiting loopholes in our immigration laws.
There is a lot of speculation that Schumer has no intention of backing down because he is terrified that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will run against him in a primary when his seat comes up for re-election, and he needs to remain in the good graces of his party's left flank.
There is also speculation that AOC is the driving force behind this shutdown, and she has done little to counter to those reports.
Recently, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) put the onus of the shutdown on pressure being applied by AOC, which led to a reporter asking the liberal firebrand if she was the driving force behind it all.
AOC responded, "If senators think that we're having a shutdown because of me, they're free to enter my office and negotiate.”
Democrats are playing semantics here, and everyone knows it, which has led to Johnson simply closing the door on any negotiations for the time being.
He stated, "Don't ask the Republicans what we should be doing or what we should be negotiating. I don't have anything to negotiate. I sent them, in good faith, exactly what they voted for before.”
Johnson added, "We did not put any Republican provisions in that, and we tried to make this very simple, in good faith, so the appropriations process of the people can continue."
Am I happy the government is shut down? Absolutely not, but with public sentiment on the GOP's side right now, I hope they keep this newfound backbone and hold firm rather than adding billions in spending to go for people who should not even be in this country. For now, they are doing an exceptional job of holding firm and are getting a message out that is resonating with the American people.
