In the absurd theatre that is modern politics, it seems some folks just can’t resist taking dramatic steps. Less than five hours from a government shutdown, Democrats appear to be having a meltdown. Gone are the days of sensible political cross-party dialogue, like in 1995 when Clinton and Gingrich managed to work together, or even in 2017 when Obama took a strong stance on deportations. Today’s Democrats seem to be held hostage by the more radical elements within their party, clearly terrified of change and unwilling to cooperate with Republicans.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is in quite the precarious position, apparently fearing a challenge from the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez if he so much as thinks about working with Republicans. This has led to a standoff over a spending bill that Republicans argue is essential to keeping the government running without being attached to a wildly extravagant liberal wish list. Call them optimists, but Republicans are holding out hope that enough sensible Democrats in the Senate might support their clean bill to avert the shutdown.
Democrats, in a bid to justify their position, conjure up reasons that sound more like fairy tales than facts. They claim that Republicans are lying about the demand for “free healthcare for illegals,” referring instead to tweaks in Medicaid that magically appear to grant unauthorized immigrants benefits. As if anyone really buys the notion that this generous interpretation doesn’t heavily lean towards accommodating those in the country unlawfully.
The real shocker here is that some Democrats have actually showed signs of sanity by supporting the GOP bill in the Senate. Names like Cortez—not AOC, of course, but rather Catherine Cortez Masto—stand out amid the chaos. It’s like a brief moment of lucidity in a fog of political madness. What’s more, most Americans actually oppose this impending shutdown, according to a “New York Times” poll. It turns out, shutting down the government is as unpopular as that vegetable everyone pretends to like.
The stakes are high, with a race to get crucial bills passed before November 21st. The Republicans have been dragging Congress towards functioning normally again, a stark contrast to the chaotic omnibus bills that have become a tradition as unwelcome as fruitcake at Christmas. House Speaker Mike Johnson assures us that the GOP is determined to keep the gears of government turning, aiming to avoid a repeat of this mess and maybe even expand their narrow majority. After all, they’re doing it for America’s sake—or, as the skeptics like to think, just to see how much steam Schumer can blow as he tries to keep his political career afloat amidst the gale of progressive pressures.
