SilentNova
Well-known member
A Deepening Divide: Lack of Trust Stalls Shutdown Talks
As the US government shutdown enters its third week, lawmakers are struggling to find common ground amidst a growing divide between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. At the root of the stalemate is a lack of trust that has become increasingly pronounced.
"We've got a lack of trust," Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) acknowledged in an interview with MSNBC. "Does it make it harder to come to terms on hard things like a government shutdown? Absolutely."
This distrust has its roots in the Trump administration's use of rescissions bills, which claw back congressionally appropriated funds. The president's recent decision to sign a bill revoking $9.4 billion in funding for international development and public broadcasting has further entrenched the perception among Democrats that Republicans are more interested in gutting their priorities than working together.
"The Republicans do have a credibility issue when it comes to health care and the Affordable Care Act," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference on Tuesday. "We actually need legislative action that extends the Affordable Care Act tax credit."
Schumer's view is shared by other Democrats, who are urging Republican leaders to take concrete steps to address the looming expiration of the Obamacare subsidies. Despite repeated promises to discuss the issue once the government reopens, Republicans have thus far refused to commit to doing so.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) warned that rescissions bills would be a "giant middle finger" to efforts aimed at negotiating and finding common ground. Similarly, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) described recent comments from top Republicans as ominous, suggesting they may never address the looming expiration of the subsidies despite previously stating they were open to discussing the matter.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune's warning that there may not be enough votes to extend the subsidies has also caught Democrats off guard. "I'm very skeptical," Senator Kim said. "Because they've had all year to work with us, to be able to address this, and they're like, 'Oh, well, you know, it's not gonna expire till the end of the year, we don't need to get to it yet.'"
The distrust between Democrats and Republicans has deepened in recent years, particularly since the Trump administration took office. The perception among Democrats is that Republicans are more interested in repealing and replacing Obamacare than finding a bipartisan solution.
As the shutdown continues, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle remain at an impasse. With the longest shutdown in US history now a possibility, it remains to be seen whether either side will blink or if they can find a way to work together and end the stalemate.
As the US government shutdown enters its third week, lawmakers are struggling to find common ground amidst a growing divide between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. At the root of the stalemate is a lack of trust that has become increasingly pronounced.
"We've got a lack of trust," Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) acknowledged in an interview with MSNBC. "Does it make it harder to come to terms on hard things like a government shutdown? Absolutely."
This distrust has its roots in the Trump administration's use of rescissions bills, which claw back congressionally appropriated funds. The president's recent decision to sign a bill revoking $9.4 billion in funding for international development and public broadcasting has further entrenched the perception among Democrats that Republicans are more interested in gutting their priorities than working together.
"The Republicans do have a credibility issue when it comes to health care and the Affordable Care Act," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference on Tuesday. "We actually need legislative action that extends the Affordable Care Act tax credit."
Schumer's view is shared by other Democrats, who are urging Republican leaders to take concrete steps to address the looming expiration of the Obamacare subsidies. Despite repeated promises to discuss the issue once the government reopens, Republicans have thus far refused to commit to doing so.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) warned that rescissions bills would be a "giant middle finger" to efforts aimed at negotiating and finding common ground. Similarly, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) described recent comments from top Republicans as ominous, suggesting they may never address the looming expiration of the subsidies despite previously stating they were open to discussing the matter.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune's warning that there may not be enough votes to extend the subsidies has also caught Democrats off guard. "I'm very skeptical," Senator Kim said. "Because they've had all year to work with us, to be able to address this, and they're like, 'Oh, well, you know, it's not gonna expire till the end of the year, we don't need to get to it yet.'"
The distrust between Democrats and Republicans has deepened in recent years, particularly since the Trump administration took office. The perception among Democrats is that Republicans are more interested in repealing and replacing Obamacare than finding a bipartisan solution.
As the shutdown continues, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle remain at an impasse. With the longest shutdown in US history now a possibility, it remains to be seen whether either side will blink or if they can find a way to work together and end the stalemate.
. i remember when clinton was president and there were these big budget battles too, but at least then it seemed like everyone was trying to work together. now it just feels like republicans are trying to block everything democrats want, and dems are fighting back hard. i mean, 9.4 billion in funding for international development and public broadcasting? come on 
. this is what happens when you have a party that's all about "draining the swamp" but still manages to create so much division. anyway, can we please just get some common ground around here? 
. i mean, senator murkowski said that a lack of trust makes it harder to come to terms on big issues... doesn't she know we already have enough problems with healthcare and the economy? 
all this brinksmanship is just making things worse 
. what's the point of even having shutdowns if nobody's gonna compromise? 
i cant even believe what's going on with our government rn 
especially since theyre supposedly supposed to be representing the people 
like seriously, ppl are losing their jobs and their health insurance is about to expire 
and its all because of politics 
it feels like theyre just trying to screw over democrats and gut their priorities 
we need our government to work for us, not against us 
. It feels like we're stuck in a never-ending loop of blame and mistrust. I mean, I get that Democrats and Republicans have different priorities, but can't we just try to find some common ground? 
The shutdown is getting more and more absurd, and I'm worried that someone's going to get hurt because of it. 
Can't we just have a calm and rational conversation about this? 
It's not too much to ask for, is it?
Can we find a way to work together and end this shutdown? I hope so! 
Schumer and his crew are saying "hey, we got this" but it's not like Republicans are giving them an inch here... John Thune's comment about not having enough votes to extend the subs is pretty ominous 
. I mean, yeah, there's definitely some trust issues going on here... like, Trump did his thing, and now it's all about how Democrats feel Republicans are being disingenuous about the ACA 
. But shouldn't we be trying to find common ground instead of just piling on each other? 
And I get that Democrats are worried about the subsidies, but can't Republicans just own up to their decisions like adults? 
i mean, who hasn't noticed that republicans have been trying to repeal and replace obamacare for years now? 
and meanwhile, democrats are just trying to keep the subsidies going so people don't lose their healthcare 
. i'm not sure what's gonna happen with this shutdown, but i hope both sides can find a way to work together again