With under 12 hours remaining before a potential government shutdown, President Donald Trump delivered a new warning to Congressional Democrats: he might leverage the funding cessation to implement “irreversible” reductions to health care and social welfare initiatives.
Addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon, Trump stated, “They’re taking a risk by having a shutdown. We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible.” He further elaborated, “Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” referring to Democrats.
Although the specific programs Trump referenced remained undefined, he appeared to embrace the impending crisis as a strategic advantage. He cautioned Democrats that he and his budget director, Russell Vought, could use the shutdown to “trim the budget to a level that you couldn’t do any other way.”
This warning emerged amidst ongoing discussions between the White House and Democratic leaders. During their Oval Office meeting with Trump, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries reiterated their demand for any temporary funding legislation to include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire by year-end, and to reverse Medicaid reductions enacted in the Republican tax-and-spending package earlier in the summer. Republican leaders, who hold a narrow Senate majority, have insisted on a “clean” measure to keep the government operational through November 21.
Neither side has indicated a willingness to compromise. Trump remarked, “We’ll probably have a shutdown.”
For Democrats, this confrontation carries additional political hazards. In March, a faction of centrist legislators diverged to support a Republican spending bill without securing concessions, angering progressive organizations who accused the party leadership of capitulating. Schumer’s decision at that time was characterized as an effort to avert a detrimental shutdown; however, with Medicaid cuts already in effect, they are now in a position where they cannot back down once more.
Republican Majority Leader Sen. John Thune stated that his party is amenable to debating health care subsidies, but solely after Democrats consent to resume government operations.
The government faces closure at midnight unless Congress manages to reach a last-minute agreement. This deadlock has caused federal employees to anticipate furloughs and possible job eliminations. The Office of Management and Budget has advised agencies to prepare for “reductions in force,” an uncommon step that could transform what is usually a brief halt in government functions into lasting employment losses.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated on Tuesday that up to 750,000 federal employees might be placed on temporary leave daily during a shutdown.
