Shutdown Debuts a New GOP Message: Fund the Government, Please!
Think of the children!
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images
It’s Bizarro World in Washington. Democrats are standing firm. And Republicans are arguing that they are the great defenders of the government they’ve spent months gutting. A shutdown looks increasingly likely.
Whether it lasts days or weeks, a shutdown is going to be a test of will and narrative for both sides. For Democrats, the question is how long minority leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer can remain united, with Jeffries playing the lead. For Republicans, at issue is whether they can convince Americans that they actually believe keeping the government funded and functioning is actually worthwhile — a decidedly un-Republican message, particularly in 2025, the year of DOGE.