Schumer was right to work with Republicans. Daft Democrats won't admit it. | Opinion
Sure, a shutdown would have limited the Trump administration's ability to act, but it also would have put the brunt of the blame on Democrats.
Democrats are furious at Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for not holding the line on the Republicans’ spending bill to avoid a shutdown, instead deciding to vote with other Democrats and one independent to stop the debate and advance the bill to a final vote.
Liberals are upset that members of the party bailed Republicans out.
Schumer has defended his decision, arguing that the optics of a government shutdown were worse for Democrats than if the bill were allowed to pass.
The only reason that Republicans needed the cooperation of Schumer and a couple of other Democrats was the 60-vote threshold to stop debate on the funding bill. Otherwise, Democrats could have filibustered. What's strange to me is that suddenly, Democrats are mad that their Senate leader didn’t abuse the filibuster to stop legislation from passing. It wasn't that long ago they wanted to get rid of it.
Remember when Democrats thought the filibuster was evil?
For years during Joe Biden’s presidency, I heard Democrats argue that the filibuster was a relic of the Jim Crow era, that it was undemocratic and that it needed to be abolished. Suddenly, Democrats are furious that their party leadership did not employ the tool to force a government shutdown.
In fact, shortly after Trump won reelection, I highlighted that Democrats should be glad they didn’t kill the filibuster. While it didn’t prevent the GOP funding bill from passing, because of the negative optics a shutdown would have for Democrats, it has made it difficult for Trump to enact his agenda outside of appropriations bills and executive orders. It was a looming threat.
As it turns out, Democrats never actually thought that the filibuster was evil, racist or oppressive. Even the most outspoken Democrats against the filibuster suddenly have no problem with it once they are in the minority.
Nobody is more vindicated right now than former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who eventually left the Democratic Party due to her contrarian stance in favor of the filibuster. She holds receipts, sharing a spreadsheet on X highlighting the hypocrisy of many members within her former caucus.
Like toddlers, the Democratic Party loves the rules when they help them but hates them once they hinder their ability to act how they please.
Republicans aren't much better. The GOP is one Trump outburst away from complaining about the filibuster themselves, thus completing the cycle of political hypocrisy. Neither political party can claim the moral high ground on norms and institutionality.
Schumer is right, the optics of a shutdown were terrible for Democrats
Because Republicans had already passed their government funding resolution in the House, Democrats spiking the Senate bill would have been bad politics. Sure, a shutdown would have limited the Trump administration’s ability to act, but it also would have put the brunt of the blame on Democrats.
Schumer stressed that a shutdown would have plenty of negative consequences that Democrats would bear the blame for.
For the same reasons that I said Republicans forcing a shutdown was ill-advised last December, the Democrats were wise to avoid shutting the government down this time around. Democrats’ best sales pitch right now is that Trump is a chaotic force within the federal government and can portray themselves as the adults willing to bring about stability.
Republicans have their own problems, but they can claim that they are governing just fine, given their passage of spending and funding packages thus far.
They can’t do that effectively if Democrats force a shutdown, plunging the federal government further into chaos.
Had Democrats forced a shutdown, the framing would be that Democrats are stopping Republicans from running the government and cannot be trusted with a return to power.
Democrats who are furious at Schumer’s decision should ask themselves whether they are better off defending a shutdown or allowing Republicans to pass their funding resolution. As difficult as it is for them to admit, they’re better off with the government open.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for Paste BN and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.