"But only one person could make a deal possible: President Donald Trump. Without his personal involvement, no Democrat could trust that a deal would be honored. And without his personal pressure, too many House Republicans would refuse to make any concessions to Democrats at all, particularly if it involved the hated Obamacare program. Yes, Trump was too distracted by his recent world travels to cut deals and lobby for peace prizes."
"But he'd eventually focus, particularly after Senate Republicans made it clear they wouldn't just cut to the chase by killing the filibuster and crushing Democrats without negotiations. Then last night happened, and suddenly it's not at all clear if the government is reopening soon. Trump publicly blamed Republican losses on the shutdown and accurately pointed out the quickest solution to that problem was for Republicans to follow his earlier instructions: Kill the filibuster, and impose a reopening on Democrats"
Momentum toward ending the longest government shutdown existed before off-year elections, driven by Democratic concern for public employees and SNAP recipients and expectation of a subsidy extension. Republicans recognized public blame and acknowledged that Democrats needed a moral victory, while appropriators sought a return to bipartisan spending decisions. Only President Trump could ensure a credible deal and pressure House Republicans to concede on contentious items like Obamacare. Trump had been distracted by travel but could be expected to focus after Senate Republicans resisted eliminating the filibuster. Post-election comments blaming GOP losses and urging a filibuster kill made reopening uncertain.
Read at Intelligencer
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