WASHINGTON — As the federal government shutdown dragged on, becoming the longest in American history, President Trump showed little interest in negotiations to reopen the government. But Republican Losses on Election Day could change that.
Trump told Republican senators at the White House on Wednesday that he believed the government shutdown “was a big factor” in the party's poor showing against Democrats in key races.
“We have to get the government running again soon, really immediately,” Trump said, adding that he would speak privately with senators to discuss what he would like to do next.
The president's remarks represent a shift from what has largely been his lackadaisical response to reopening the government. With Congress deadlocked for more than a month, Trump's attention has largely been elsewhere.
He spent most of last week in Asia tries to strike trade deals. Until then, most of his attention had been focused on reaching a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas And construction of the $300 million White House Ballroom.
Trump's main effort to date to reopen the federal government is to call on Republican leaders to end the filibuster, a long-standing Senate rule that requires 60 votes in the chamber to pass most legislation. Trump wants to eliminate that rule — the so-called nuclear option — to allow Republicans who control the House to advance legislation with a simple majority.
“If you don't stop the filibuster, you're going to be in bad shape,” Trump told GOP senators and warned that the rule would make the party seen as “do-nothing Republicans” and be “killed” in next year's midterm elections.
Trump's push to end lockdowns comes as voters increasingly disapprove of his economic agenda. according to latest polls. That trend accelerated Tuesday as voters cast their ballots with economics as their primary motivation. the AP poll showed. Despite those numbers, Trump told a crowd at the American Business Forum in Miami on Wednesday that he believes “we have the greatest economy right now.”
While Trump has not admitted mistakes in his economic agenda, he has begun to express concern that the continued shutdown could hurt Republicans. Those concerns led him to push Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, a move that left members of his party in a difficult position.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota is resisting pressure, calling the filibuster an “important tool” that keeps the party in control of the House.
The 60-vote threshold allowed Republicans to block “a whole bunch of terrible Democratic policies” when they were in the minority last year, Thune said. said in an interview Monday with “The Guy Benson Show” on Fox News Radio.
“I shudder to think how much worse it would be without the legislative filibuster,” he said. “The truth is, if we did their dirty work for them, which is essentially what we did, we'd own all the shit they're going to do if and when they get the chance to do it.”
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said last week that he is “firmly opposed to eliminating it.”
“The filibuster forces us to find common ground in the Senate. Power changes hands, but principles don't,” Curtis says a post on social media.
As the government shutdown stretched into its 36th day on Wednesday, Trump continued to show disinterest in negotiations with Democrats who are refusing to vote on a reopening bill that does not include a health care deal.
Budget negotiations have stalled as Democrats have tried to force Republicans to extend federal health care tax breaks that are set to expire at the end of the year. If these credits expire, millions of Americans are expected to see a sharp increase in the cost of their insurance premiums.
With talks stalled, Trump said in an interview aired Sunday that he “will not be let down” by demands to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
On Wednesday, Democratic legislative leaders sent a letter to Trump demanding a bipartisan meeting to “end the GOP shutdown of the federal government and decisively address the Republican health care crisis.”
“Democrats are ready to meet you face to face, anytime, anywhere,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York. wrote in a letter to Trump.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Democrats' letter.
“The election results should send a much-needed signal to Donald Trump that he must meet with us to end this crisis.” Schumer told the Associated Press.
Trump's remarks on Wednesday signal that he is more interested in a partisan approach to ending the shutdown.
“It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do, which is stop the filibuster,” Trump told GOP senators. “This is the only way to do it.”
If Republicans don't do it, Trump says Senate Democrats will do it the next time they are in the majority.
Democrats have not signaled any intention to end the filibuster in the future, but Trump has said otherwise and said Republicans should “do it first.”
