The Week: Shutdown Again (Naturally)

• This was CBS.

• Democrats were desperate to force a government shutdown to show their resolve to fight President Trump, and now they have one. Usually, the side that wants the shutdown and opposes a so-called “clean continuing resolution” to keep government funded at its current levels loses these battles, and that will likely be the case here. Democrats think they have a winning issue in demanding the extension of what were supposed to be temporary Covid-era Obamacare subsidies, but there’s no reason for Republicans to give ground on the subsidies as part of this fight (even if there are worrying signs they will surrender later). The White House is trying to establish leverage of its own with threats of large-scale cuts to the federal workforce and by withholding funding for Democratic priorities. There’s also an ongoing meme war involving sombreros, because—why not? The republic will survive, and sooner or later, the government will be fully funded again.

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• This was CBS.

• Democrats were desperate to force a government shutdown to show their resolve to fight President Trump, and now they have one. Usually, the side that wants the shutdown and opposes a so-called “clean continuing resolution” to keep government funded at its current levels loses these battles, and that will likely be the case here. Democrats think they have a winning issue in demanding the extension of what were supposed to be temporary Covid-era Obamacare subsidies, but there’s no reason for Republicans to give ground on the subsidies as part of this fight (even if there are worrying signs they will surrender later). The White House is trying to establish leverage of its own with threats of large-scale cuts to the federal workforce and by withholding funding for Democratic priorities. There’s also an ongoing meme war involving sombreros, because—why not? The republic will survive, and sooner or later, the government will be fully funded again.