Time to Be Done with Shutdowns

Here is a shocking headline: “Americans do not always agree.” We see our disagreement at every football game, as well as during the latest government shutdown. Depending on how this shutdown directly affects you or your politics, Americans across the country seem to be either apathetic, confused, or frustrated. It’s a shutdown Groundhog Day.

This time, Democrats refused to vote for a nonpartisan continuing resolution to just extend current government funding levels for seven weeks while we finish our negotiations on appropriations. Apparently, Senate Democrats needed to demonstrate to their progressive base that they are “fighting Trump.” For the record, Republicans did not agree with President Biden about anything, but we never had a shutdown during his presidency because Republicans chose to keep the government open while we negotiated, rather than hold federal workers and their families hostage in the negotiations.

JL

About the Author

James Lankford

James Lankford represents Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate.

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Here is a shocking headline: “Americans do not always agree.” We see our disagreement at every football game, as well as during the latest government shutdown. Depending on how this shutdown directly affects you or your politics, Americans across the country seem to be either apathetic, confused, or frustrated. It’s a shutdown Groundhog Day.

This time, Democrats refused to vote for a nonpartisan continuing resolution to just extend current government funding levels for seven weeks while we finish our negotiations on appropriations. Apparently, Senate Democrats needed to demonstrate to their progressive base that they are “fighting Trump.” For the record, Republicans did not agree with President Biden about anything, but we never had a shutdown during his presidency because Republicans chose to keep the government open while we negotiated, rather than hold federal workers and their families hostage in the negotiations.