- cross-posted to:
- usa
- cross-posted to:
- usa
When President Donald Trump announced last week he wanted Congress to “pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill,” that should have dropped the chances of a federal shutdown to near zero.
After all, shutdown threats tend to get driven by conservative hard-liners intent on cutting spending — and who better than Trump to pull them in line and keep the government open?
So it’s quite a testament to how dramatically Trump has shaken up Washington over the past six weeks that the likelihood of a shutdown hasn’t abated. In fact, according to my reporting, it might actually have increased.
This time, it’s Democrats who are itching for a fight — over the Department of Government Efficiency cuts that Trump has blessed and deputized mogul Elon Musk has gleefully carried out.
Hopefully, in the 2026, 2028 and 2030 congressional elections, Democrats will gradually gain seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
For now, all they can do is be cautious to prevent Trump and his company from using them to their advantage.