Democratic Party voters are unhappy with their leadership as the deadline for a government shutdown approaches, an analyst warned Monday.
Columnist Jill Lawrence, who penned the book "The Art of the Political Deal: How Congress Beat the Odds and Broke Through Gridlock," wrote for MSNBC.com that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer aren't caving into GOP demands the way they did in March as the previous shutdown loomed.
For a change, Democrats are refusing to accept a short-term Republican-backed funding extension—also called a “clean” continuing resolution—unless Republicans agree to extend Obamacare subsidies and reverse Trump-era Medicaid cuts. This marks a strategic shift from earlier this year, when Democrats sided with Republicans to avoid a shutdown, but frustrated grassroots Democratic voters are now demanding a tougher stance.
"The Democratic brand has tanked in polls," wrote Lawrence.
Lawrence wrote on Monday that leaders view the looming shutdown as both a high-wire risk and a potential rallying point for a soured Democratic base, which seeks to contrast with Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress.
Schumer and Jeffries are betting that forcing a showdown over taking away health care funding will energize Democratic voters and show clear political differences ahead of the 2026 election. Republicans are betting that voters will blame Democrats for the shutdown.
Centrist and moderate Democrats are having an internal battle about the very real risk of constituents—especially federal workers in blue states who survived Trump's cuts—suffering from lost pay and possible layoffs if a shutdown slogs onward for several weeks.
Republicans, who hold a controlling majority in the House and Senate, are seeking to run out the clock, the writer claimed.
Trump has signaled he’s prepared to let the government close and is threatening massive layoffs in a recent White House memo. He can then try and blame the layoffs on Democrats. In response, Democratic leaders are trying to hold their caucus together, but leaks suggest some moderates may break ranks and support the GOP plan rather than risk a shutdown.
Lawrence closes by emphasizing that, though public officials on both sides often claim shutdowns are damaging and should be avoided, the reality is that each side is maneuvering for political advantage. Democrats are hoping that taking a stand on healthcare will energize their electorate. However, with the deadline imminent and the risk to federal workers and the economy mounting, it’s uncertain whether the high-stakes brinkmanship will succeed—or backfire.