President Donald Trump and Republicans could make things very difficult for Democrat-led states if the minority party in Congress forces a government shutdown.
Trump on Tuesday scrapped a meeting with Democrat leaders on funding the federal government to avoid a shutdown after "reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands."
Government funding is set to end at midnight Oct. 1 unless lawmakers agree to a seven-week continuing resolution (CR) that would avoid a shutdown.
Republicans are seeking a "clean" CR, something Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., supported when his party was in the majority. Democrats now are demanding Obamacare subsidies in the CR.
"I'd be much more worried if I were a blue state. The president has a lot of discretionary power on what he declares is … essential," Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said after being asked about a shutdown's impact on his state, The Hill reported.
"We do not want a shutdown."
If a shutdown were to occur, GOP leaders appear ready to follow Democrats' lead during the 2013 shutdown in which then-President Barack Obama and then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., attacked the GOP for attempting to defund Obamacare.
Democrats even closed popular attractions, such as the World War II Memorial on the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums, and blamed Republicans.
During a shutdown, Trump could close parts of the government and force government workers to continue showing up for work without potential scheduled pay, The Hill reported.
Some Democrats are worried that their party members are not in a strong enough position to handle a shutdown.
"I don't believe Democrats are truly prepared for what they're walking into because there's no exit strategy. When you're the party who believes in government and, more specifically, the good that government can do through funding, you're already at a disadvantage," a former senior Democrat aide said, reported The Hill.
"[Trump's] microphone is a lot bigger than Democrats' right now. … That is my concern. This is a high-stakes game of poker, and Trump would go in with like a 2-7, but it just so happens that I think he has a stronger hand. I feel as though Democrats have walked into this without looking at their cards."
Reuters contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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