Democrats at a Crossroads with Shutdown Strategy Decisions
Republicans rejected the demands put forth by Democrats during shutdown negotiations. As a result, Democrats are faced with a decision to make.
TroibNews 
Republicans and Democrats are heading towards a potential confrontation over federal spending, especially after GOP leaders dismissed the idea of imposing restrictions on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk regarding their ability to reclaim funding that Congress has already approved. This situation is intensifying concerns about a government shutdown, which could occur in just 17 days.
Democrats are demanding measures to limit Trump and Musk’s actions, fueled by significant frustration among left-leaning lawmakers regarding the president’s unilateral actions that have led to substantial cuts in federal programs. Following a meeting with key GOP appropriators and party leaders on Wednesday morning, Republicans formally rejected these proposals.
Democratic leaders now find themselves in a challenging position: Should they maintain their stance, avoid providing support to Republicans, and risk an unpopular shutdown? Or should they back down, potentially angering their liberal base that wants them to resist Trump and Musk's influence? So far, they are navigating this situation cautiously.
“The red line for us is, are you going to not harm the American people? Are you going to continue to cut Medicaid, to take health care away from our seniors and kids and veterans, or are you not?" remarked House Minority Whip Katherine Clark in a brief interview. “That is the insurance we're looking for.”
While Republicans hold both chambers of Congress and the presidency, they are prepared to point fingers at Democrats should a government shutdown occur. In recent years, Democrats have stepped in to finalize legislation as a growing number of Republicans have criticized the use of continuing resolutions (CRs) for temporary funding measures.
“If we do a year-long CR and we pass it and it goes over to the Senate, and the Democrats vote against it, then it will be their fault for closing the government,” said Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, who chairs the Interior-Environment Appropriations subcommittee, during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Democrats, however, find this reasoning unfounded given the GOP's control over Congress and the unwillingness of its leaders to rein in Trump, whose actions to freeze government funding, dismiss federal employees, and disband entire agencies are under legal challenge.
“It’s not up to us — it's up to them to decide whether they want to shut the government down,” stated Rep. Gregory Meeks regarding the Republicans.
Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether this argument will resonate if government funding is allowed to lapse, as this could lead to significant disruptions for American workers. As tensions rise, Democratic leaders continue to give their negotiators some latitude to pursue an agreement.
For example, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries deferred questions regarding the possibility of a funding deal without restrictions on Trump and Musk to House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut. Similarly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday directed inquiries to top Senate Appropriations Democrat Patty Murray, who stated that Democrats “need to know Republicans are willing to work with us to protect Congress’ power of the purse” as a fundamental requirement for reaching a funding agreement.
Speaker Mike Johnson commented on Wednesday that “Democrats have had completely unreasonable conditions” in the budget discussions.
Appropriators have been engaged for months in an effort to establish agreement on overall spending levels for both military and non-defense programs, known as “toplines,” which are essential for subcommittees to develop the 12 individual appropriations bills necessary for federal operations for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Although negotiators claim they are nearing consensus on these numbers, the reality is setting in that there may not be sufficient time before the March 14 deadline to secure a toplines agreement, produce the actual spending bills, and pass them through both legislative chambers.
Last week, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins noted that “we’re running out of time,” but she reiterated on Wednesday, “we’re still talking.”
If appropriators believe that reaching a deal with new spending bills is still plausible, they might consider a short-term stopgap measure to allow more time for negotiations. There’s also discussion of a long-term spending solution extending through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the ranking member on the House Energy-Water appropriations subcommittee, described a year-long continuing resolution as “the least bad alternative.”
However, even in that scenario, Democrats will need to evaluate how far they will go to ensure that the Trump administration and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency will respect Congress’ legislative work. With federal funds held up and layoffs looming, trust in the White House among Democrats is diminishing further.
“I don't know if handshakes are working so much these days,” remarked Rep. Mark Pocan, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, in an interview. "They got to show they really mean it."
Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
Democrats are demanding measures to limit Trump and Musk’s actions, fueled by significant frustration among left-leaning lawmakers regarding the president’s unilateral actions that have led to substantial cuts in federal programs. Following a meeting with key GOP appropriators and party leaders on Wednesday morning, Republicans formally rejected these proposals.
Democratic leaders now find themselves in a challenging position: Should they maintain their stance, avoid providing support to Republicans, and risk an unpopular shutdown? Or should they back down, potentially angering their liberal base that wants them to resist Trump and Musk's influence? So far, they are navigating this situation cautiously.
“The red line for us is, are you going to not harm the American people? Are you going to continue to cut Medicaid, to take health care away from our seniors and kids and veterans, or are you not?" remarked House Minority Whip Katherine Clark in a brief interview. “That is the insurance we're looking for.”
While Republicans hold both chambers of Congress and the presidency, they are prepared to point fingers at Democrats should a government shutdown occur. In recent years, Democrats have stepped in to finalize legislation as a growing number of Republicans have criticized the use of continuing resolutions (CRs) for temporary funding measures.
“If we do a year-long CR and we pass it and it goes over to the Senate, and the Democrats vote against it, then it will be their fault for closing the government,” said Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, who chairs the Interior-Environment Appropriations subcommittee, during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Democrats, however, find this reasoning unfounded given the GOP's control over Congress and the unwillingness of its leaders to rein in Trump, whose actions to freeze government funding, dismiss federal employees, and disband entire agencies are under legal challenge.
“It’s not up to us — it's up to them to decide whether they want to shut the government down,” stated Rep. Gregory Meeks regarding the Republicans.
Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether this argument will resonate if government funding is allowed to lapse, as this could lead to significant disruptions for American workers. As tensions rise, Democratic leaders continue to give their negotiators some latitude to pursue an agreement.
For example, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries deferred questions regarding the possibility of a funding deal without restrictions on Trump and Musk to House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut. Similarly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday directed inquiries to top Senate Appropriations Democrat Patty Murray, who stated that Democrats “need to know Republicans are willing to work with us to protect Congress’ power of the purse” as a fundamental requirement for reaching a funding agreement.
Speaker Mike Johnson commented on Wednesday that “Democrats have had completely unreasonable conditions” in the budget discussions.
Appropriators have been engaged for months in an effort to establish agreement on overall spending levels for both military and non-defense programs, known as “toplines,” which are essential for subcommittees to develop the 12 individual appropriations bills necessary for federal operations for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Although negotiators claim they are nearing consensus on these numbers, the reality is setting in that there may not be sufficient time before the March 14 deadline to secure a toplines agreement, produce the actual spending bills, and pass them through both legislative chambers.
Last week, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins noted that “we’re running out of time,” but she reiterated on Wednesday, “we’re still talking.”
If appropriators believe that reaching a deal with new spending bills is still plausible, they might consider a short-term stopgap measure to allow more time for negotiations. There’s also discussion of a long-term spending solution extending through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the ranking member on the House Energy-Water appropriations subcommittee, described a year-long continuing resolution as “the least bad alternative.”
However, even in that scenario, Democrats will need to evaluate how far they will go to ensure that the Trump administration and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency will respect Congress’ legislative work. With federal funds held up and layoffs looming, trust in the White House among Democrats is diminishing further.
“I don't know if handshakes are working so much these days,” remarked Rep. Mark Pocan, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, in an interview. "They got to show they really mean it."
Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
