Are Democrats About to Walk Into a Devastating Trap?

"And as of Monday morning, a shutdown - of undetermined duration - looks more likely than not. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appear determined to play hardball, as restive Democratic voters demand their leaders take a more aggressive posture against an administration they loathe - and which has steamrolled Congress on spending. Democrats are demanding an extension of Obamacare subsidies in exchange for the senate votes necessary to meet the 60-vote threshold and keep the government open."

"The party demanding concessions usually takes the blame for a shutdown and its attendant downsides. But this time around, there's another factor for Democrats to keep in mind: the Trump administration's mission to cripple the administrative state. Russell Vought, the powerful head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has threatened to institute mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown, to which Democrats have reacted defiantly. But how realistic is the threat?"

Democrats and Republicans face a Tuesday deadline to pass a temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, which appears increasingly likely. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are adopting a hardline stance as Democratic voters demand a more aggressive posture. Democrats insist on an extension of Obamacare subsidies in exchange for the Senate votes needed to meet a 60-vote threshold. The Trump administration is pursuing a campaign to weaken the administrative state, and OMB director Russell Vought has threatened mass layoffs during a shutdown. Don Kettl, a University of Maryland expert on the federal bureaucracy, assesses that the administration's threat is not a bluff. Earlier near-shutdown in March raised concerns that a shutdown could be used to inflict additional damage on federal operations.

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