Federal Shutdown Analysis – How It Ends

The Federal Government Shutdown has gone on too long. It is the tip of a spear – frustration created by ideological differences, extreme congressional dysfunction, and insufferable Democrat desperation for political attention.

At its simplest, Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer – in Congress for 44 years – wanted a shutdown showdown – “essential” workers without pay, others riffed – to take attention from the GOP, controlling House, Senate, and White House.

The pretense for this dispute was an argument over whether to extend COVID-era Obamacare benefits called “enhanced premium tax benefits” into the new year and restart federal funding for National Public Radio, defunded earlier.

Typically, when a fiscal year closes – every September 30th – remaining differences are resolved in a short period by a “continuing resolution,” or in Washington-talk a “CR.” In plain words, an extension of their homework.

A CR allows the federal government to keep running, paying people, and giving out benefits as if the ending year’s budget were still in place. It does not typically include extra things, so it is called a “clean bill,” no dirty tricks or adds.

Year after year, Democrats and Republicans have used this “CR” process – an extension for late homework – to resolve remaining issues that, for one reason or another, did not get figured out before the end of the “fiscal year.”

This year, feeling outflanked by Republicans in the House and Senate, and resenting President Trump, Mr. Schumer and Senate Democrats decided to throw down, just shut down the government. Simply put, they threw a fit.

They said they would not give the seven votes needed – in a Senate divided 53-47 – to allow the procedural 60-vote “starting point” needed to pass a CR.

You may ask why, if Republicans are the Senate majority, 60 votes are needed to get a CR passed, restarting the government, and letting things be worked out.

Although a side question, this is interesting. Our Founders – starting in 1789 – allowed long speeches to delay a vote. By the 1850s, this was called a “filibuster.” In 1917, it was given an official status, called a “cloture” vote: Before a vote on the underlying bill, 60 Senators must vote to take that vote.

If this sounds silly or anti-majority, it was viewed as important because it allowed all words that needed saying to be said, and hot tempers to cool.

Eventually, in the usual course of business, 60 members of the Senate vote for “cloture,” and debate then ends, allowing the underlying bill to be voted on.

Well, Mr. Schumer and Senate Democrats, feeling powerless, decided to throw a fit and not vote for “cloture.” This is why President Trump is saying, just change the rule – which Republicans can do. Just do a majority vote to reopen.

So far, Senate Republicans, who respect Senate traditions, are trying not to do that. But how important is reopening, with some federal actions, like paying air traffic controllers and giving SNAP benefits withheld by Democrats?

The truth is, there are ways to resolve this stalemate. If time is not on the Democrats’ side – as they started the mess – it is also not with Republicans.

The average American wants to reliably and safely board a plane for family at Thanksgiving, wants those who need supplemental benefits to get them, and wants fairness to kick in, a sense of mature leadership to return to the process.

And so what does a solution look like?

What should happen is that Schumer and Senate Democrats stop this childish fit, respect the majority and average Americans, lick their wounds, issue press releases about how important what they did was, pass the CR, and negotiate.

To kill the century-old filibuster, or “cloture” vote, just to get the government running again seems shortsighted, a slide in the wrong direction. But to cave to Schumer and Democrat demands would be absurd, appeasing rank extortion.

So, what is to be done? Honestly, a few senior Democrats, perhaps accompanied by respected Republican Senators like Thune and Collins – who heads Appropriations – should just take Schumer aside, talk sense into him.

Or a handful of Democrat Senators, all facing tough reelections from this bad bet, should just bolt and vote with Republicans to reopen the government.

If this drags on to Thanksgiving, which will lead to more pain for Americans, President Trump could reprogram money to pay essential workers, although Democrats will fight that in court.

President Trump could also do what President Reagan did, under different circumstances – call up military air traffic controllers, including the National Guard, to supplement the overworked, underpaid civilian air controllers.

One way or the other, this Democrat-driven disaster, an unforced error that hurts Americans, just shows the utter mess Democrats are in, and their desperate attempt to abuse the process to regain some power. They are willing to hold federal employees and the public hostage to hurt Trump.

Bottom line: We do not need this kind of ideological, personal, ego-driven, and ultimately childish and useless behavior from our leaders. We need leadership.

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!