President Donald Trump hosted almost all Republican senators at the White House on Tuesday for an event publicized as a “Rose Garden Club” lunch. This gathering swiftly transformed into a show of party solidarity, occurring as the government shutdown extended into its fourth week with no resolution apparent.
Under yellow umbrellas on the recently constructed White House patio, senators ate cheeseburgers, fries, and “Rose Garden chocolates.” During this, Trump commended his budget director, ridiculed Democrats, and asserted that Republicans were “doing the right thing” by remaining steadfast.
“This marks the fourth week of the Democrat-initiated shutdown, yet we are gathered here today because your Republican Senate team stands united,” stated Senate Majority Leader John Thune, with the President nodding alongside him. “Everyone present has now voted 11 separate times to reopen the government, and we will continue to vote for its reopening. Ultimately, the Democrats, hopefully before too long, will reconsider.”
All Republican senators, with the exception of Kentucky’s Rand Paul (who claimed he did not receive an invitation), were present. This underscores the party leaders’ commitment to demonstrating unity, especially as surveys indicate more Americans hold them accountable for the stalemate. A poll released Monday revealed that 50% of Americans identify congressional Republicans as primarily responsible for the shutdown, while 43% fault Democrats.
Trump, whose approval rating in the same survey showed a modest increase to 42%, seemed keen to boost his party’s spirits. “In a cowardly and purposeless act of partisan malice,” he declared, “Chuck Schumer and the extreme left Democrats are holding the entire federal government captive to satisfy extremists within their own party.”
Senate Democratic leader Schumer dismissed the Rose Garden event as merely “a pep rally,” criticizing Republicans for their failure to engage in discussions with his party regarding the extension of provisions slated to lapse by year-end. “Republicans may lack the time to address people’s health care concerns, but seemingly they have ample time for a small pep rally with Donald Trump,” he remarked on the Senate floor on Tuesday.
As the standoff enters its third week, Washington is bracing for the bleak possibility that the shutdown—which on Tuesday equaled the second longest on record—might readily extend to a full month before any significant progress is made toward resuming government operations.
The shutdown’s effects are palpable nationwide. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers—among them thousands of air traffic controllers—have been placed on furlough or are working unpaid. Over 1,000 specialists have been furloughed by the National Nuclear Security Administration. States are issuing warnings that programs like Head Start and WIC, which delivers nutritional aid to over 40 million Americans, might exhaust their funding in a matter of weeks.
While the national economic impact remains slight, the human cost is escalating. Approximately one in five Americans report being financially impacted by the shutdown, and two in five know someone who has been affected, according to the Reuters/Ipsos survey.
Nevertheless, the impasse on Capitol Hill has only intensified. Trump and Republican leadership have declined to discuss any other matters until Democrats consent to reopen the government. Senate Democrats, in turn, persist in obstructing the House-approved continuing resolution (CR) until Republicans agree to prolong Affordable Care Act subsidies, which Democrats deem essential to averting premium increases for millions of Americans.
Republican leaders had anticipated that last Saturday’s extensive “No Kings” protests—drawing millions nationwide in demonstrations against Trump—would signify a turning point, leading Democrats to compromise following the rallies. However, the outcome for the largely peaceful demonstrations seemed instead to strengthen their determination.
A few lawmakers have started contemplating potential solutions, although none seem imminent. One such option involves a brief agreement to restore government operations while arranging a separate vote on extending the ACA subsidies. Another proposal suggests extending the continuing resolution past its present November 21 deadline—possibly into December or beyond—to allow for more extensive negotiations.
Despite these discussions, the two factions remain deeply divided. “Plan B involves reopening the government,” Thune stated on Tuesday, asserting that Democrats should agree to fund the government before policy discussions restart. Democrats argue that reopening first would eliminate all their bargaining power to secure the subsidies.
Even within the Republican Party, the way forward is indistinct. Speaker Mike Johnson has maintained the House in recess, asserting that his chamber fulfilled its duty by approving a straightforward funding bill last month. “Ninety-nine and a half percent of House Republicans fully grasp our objective,” Johnson commented at a Tuesday press conference, maintaining that Democrats are “wasting time” for political gain.
“The American populace would have an operational government if Democrats weren’t intimidated by their extreme base,” Johnson further remarked. “Democrats are not governing genuinely—they are protecting their own interests.”
Republicans are currently discussing the potential duration of a new stopgap measure, should one pass. “We will likely need to extend the CR date because Democrats have stalled us for weeks,” Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, informed reporters on Monday. “That being said, I do not wish to continue into next year, and I am resolutely against a long-term CR.”
Presently, both parties are entrenched in a predictable cycle of mutual accusation.
“Donald Trump ought to join the negotiation table,” stated House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday. “Democrats have unequivocally communicated that we are prepared to meet with any of them, at any time, in any location—be it here at the Capitol or at the White House—to restore government operations.”
Schumer further mentioned that he and Jeffries contacted Trump on Tuesday to arrange a meeting for shutdown negotiations. Trump, however, appears satisfied with allowing the crisis to persist. During Tuesday’s lunch, he highlighted spending reductions his administration implemented during the shutdown, specifically targeting Democratic initiatives.
“They’ve effectively enabled us to achieve this,” Trump remarked regarding the cuts, which involved dismissing over 4,100 employees across almost six agencies earlier this month. “Numerous items they’re reducing, such as the New York Project, are facing a $20 billion cut. They will not recover it… Perhaps we’ll discuss it with them. But they are losing all the objectives they desired.”
