In an attempt to force the GOP to push through a DACA extension, Democrats in Congress took a very big risk, holding the entire government hostage as their leverage. It turns out, though, that this risk on the part of the Democrats was a very poorly calculated one that has now backfired in the most embarrassing way possible.
After just two days of negotiation and three days of government shutdown, Democrats caved, ending their filibuster and allowing the passage of a spending bill that will fund the government through early February.
So what did the Democrats gain by forcing this shutdown? Absolutely nothing.
After holding the federal government hostage, the only thing Schumer and his party were able to walk away with was a promise from Mitch McConnell that the Senate would vote on extending DACA sometime between now and February 8.
However, there is every reason to believe that this vote would have happened regardless. In fact, the entire motivation behind Trump refusing to renew DACA was to give Congress the opportunity to vote on it. In other words, at the end of the government shutdown, Democrats are left having gained nothing they didn’t already have.
The damage they’ve brought on themselves, however, isn’t quite so negligible. Shutting down the government over DACA turned out to be a PR disaster for the Democratic Party. By shutting down the government, they proved that they are willing to put the livelihood of millions of Americans in limbo merely to use the ensuing chaos as a bargaining chip. By failing to gain anything from the shutdown, Democrats in the Senate are also left looking completely incompetent.
Perhaps the biggest loser from the government shutdown is Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. In the wake of the party’s failure to gain anything from the shutdown, it was by and large Schumer who was left holding the blame. Now, even members of his own party are turning on the Minority Leader.
“They caved. They blinked. That’s what they do,” said Rep. Luis Guttierez (D-IL).
Even Nanci Pelosi (D-CA) parted with Schumer, saying, “I don’t see that there’s any reason — I’m speaking personally and hearing from my members — to support what was put forth.”
Of course, Schumer has now tried to shift blame for the shutdown to Trump and the GOP, however, even the majority of the liberal media isn’t really going along with that story.
In the wake of the shutdown, Democrats have left Americans with the impression that they are solely the ones responsible for the shutdown, have put forth the idea that they are weak and on the run, have completely lost their ability to use a government shutdown as leverage in the future, and have gained absolutely nothing in the process. It’s no doubt a tough pill to swallow for Schumer and the Democrats and one that will likely haunt them for some time.
Meanwhile, Trump and the Republicans have been dealt something of a victory. The fact that the GOP was able to end the shutdown in only three days without giving up any ground despite their narrow majority in the Senate certainly looks good for the negotiating skills of Trump and McConnell. This combined with the recent tax cut bill serves as proof that Republicans in Congress can indeed govern and has forced the Democratic party into a position of irrelevance.
While the spending bill that was passed only funds the government through February 8, the chances of the Democrats trying to use a government shutdown as leverage to extend DACA – or for any other purpose for that matter – are slim to none. According to one Senate aide, Democrats “miscalculated beyond belief” in their attempts to strong-arm the GOP into extending DACA, and it’s highly doubtful that they will make the same mistake twice. This opens the door for Congress to pass a more long-term spending bill as well as deal with DACA without too much obstruction or interference.
Heading into the midterm elections, political losses and victories are especially important for representatives who hope to keep their seats. In holding the government hostage in an attempt to push through DACA (and failing miserably in the process), Democrats have handed Republicans a key victory while themselves suffering a stinging defeat.
~ Liberty Planet
