The End to the Government Shutdown
In a recent episode of “Washington Week With The Atlantic,” the panelists delved into the aftermath of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which has now come to an end. The discussion centered around the complexities of the negotiations that led to the reopening of the government, particularly focusing on how moderate lawmakers played a crucial role in brokering a deal with Senate Republicans. This situation has left many Democratic lawmakers feeling frustrated, as they had hoped that the shutdown would provide them with leverage over their Republican counterparts. Nancy Cordes, the chief White House correspondent for CBS News, highlighted that many Senate Democrats believed they were inching closer to a pivotal moment that could pressure Republicans, only to see that strategy thwarted by a coalition of eight Senate Democrats who opted for a resolution rather than continuing the standoff.
The panel, featuring notable journalists such as Natalie Andrews from The Wall Street Journal and Andrew Desiderio from Punchbowl News, explored the implications of this compromise for the Democratic Party moving forward. Cordes emphasized the tangible impacts of the shutdown, mentioning the mounting frustrations faced by federal employees, flight delays, and the critical loss of food assistance for SNAP beneficiaries. These issues, she noted, contributed to the growing sentiment among Democrats that they were missing an opportunity to challenge Republicans effectively. The discussion not only illuminated the immediate repercussions of the shutdown but also raised questions about the strategic direction of the Democratic Party and its ability to navigate future negotiations with a divided Congress.
As the government reopens, the episode serves as a reminder of the delicate balance lawmakers must strike between political strategy and the real-world effects of their decisions. The insights shared by the panelists offer a window into the ongoing struggles within the Democratic Party, as they grapple with the consequences of their choices during the shutdown and consider how to move forward in a politically charged environment. For those interested in a deeper understanding of these developments, the full episode is available for viewing, providing a comprehensive look at the current state of U.S. politics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kTcXsExfeU
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This week the government reopened after the longest closure in the nation’s history. Panelists on
Washington Week With The Atlantic
joined to discuss how moderate lawmakers brokered a deal with Senate Republicans—and what it may mean for the Democratic Party going forward.
There is a lot of frustration among Democratic lawmakers following the end of the shutdown, which is now spilling out into public view, Nancy Cordes, the chief White House correspondent at CBS News, said last night. “There are Senate Democrats who feel that the whole point of this risky enterprise in the first place, triggering a shutdown, was because eventually, over time, they felt that they would gain enough leverage over Republicans.”
Although “the pain was mounting; yes, flight delays were mounting; yes, SNAP beneficiaries were starting to lose very crucial food assistance,” Cordes noted, “they felt that they were getting closer to putting Republicans in a very uncomfortable situation.” She added: “We’ll never know if they were right or not, because these eight Senate Democrats said that they weren’t willing to find out.”
Joining the guest moderator and a staff writer at
The Atlantic
, Vivian Salama, to discuss this and more: Natalie Andrews, a White House correspondent at
The Wall Street Journal
; Cordes, the chief White House correspondent at CBS News; Andrew Desiderio, a senior congressional reporter for
Punchbowl News
; Jeff Mason, a White House correspondent at Reuters.
Watch the full episode
here
.
