Weaponizing the Government Shutdown
Yes, I’m weary with it. Most people are numb to it because it doesn’t affect them directly. Government workers hate it, and business persons should be marching in the streets to demand that it stop being used as a political weapon. I’m talking about the now frequent use of the government shutdown as a bludgeon to override democracy. It started in the 70s after passage of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 in response to Nixon impounding funds (refusing to spend) funds appropriated by Congress. The Congress reasserted its control over federal spending after Nixon (and other presidents) had sought greater autonomy over federal spending. What this set up, though, was budget showdowns that pitted the Congress against the White House.
The shutdown-as-weapon started in 1976 under Ford when he vetoed a funding bill for the departments of education and labor that had just been established by splitting the old department. It didn’t last long when Democrats overrode the veto. The next 4 out of 5 shutdowns were over abortion funding under Carter. Reagan was the one who started playing brinksmanship with the shutdown, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal employees, mostly demanding deep spending cuts. He shut down the government eight times, an average of once a year during his terms. HW Bush shut down the government once in 1990 over deficit spending.
Then came Newt. After taking the house and becoming speaker, Gingrich used the shutdown to assert control over the entire government. His shutdowns in November of 1995 and again from December to January of 1996 shattered Americans’ confidence in government and the Republicans. Clinton’s popularity soared, and he cruised to reelection that year. Gingrich was hounded out of the speaker’s office not long after.
Gingrich’s stupidity weighed on the Republicans so heavily that they didn’t dare to shut the government down again until 2013, when Ted Cruz used the shutdown in an attempt to strip healthcare from over 20 million Americans who were finally getting it as a result of the Affordable Care Act. That shutdown lasted 16 days after the Republicans finally caved, but not before costing the US economy an estimated $24 billion dollars. In between these shutdown attempts, Republicans started playing brinksmanship with the debt limit until finally S&P downgraded the US federal debt rating citing the instability of congressional Republicans and their brinksmanship.
Immune to learning anything from history, Trump has stupidly used the government shutdown to please his base of mouth-breathers, who hate everyone not white and every program that might help them. This is the third shutdown in a YEAR, and this time during Christmas because Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh demanded their stupid border wall that won’t work. This one won’t end well for Trump and his merry band of cronies. The Dems take the House on January 3, and will make Trump’s life a living hell, especially after he has blundered into what is likely his largest mistake (among a legion of mistakes) he’s made since infesting the White House in 2017. Pelosi and Schumer are going to use this move to their greatest advantage, and will be happy to just sit there and stare at him until the pressure on him becomes so great that either his head explodes or he caves.
If this shutdown wasn’t so destructive it would be entertaining, but Trump’s stupidity will will cost tens of billions of dollars, thousands of jobs, and will wreck the holidays for millions of Americans. I just hope it hurts more Trumpists than it does normal people.