Republican congressional leaders have been quietly warning the White House not to move forward with plans to decimate the federal workforce and shred the social safety net under cover of the government shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and other senior Republicans have advised President Donald Trump and his aides against far-reaching cuts and firings – all Project 2025 priorities – that could turn voters against them, and GOP lawmakers are growing uneasy with the White House strategy as Democrats are refusing to play along, reported the Wall Street Journal.
"The Republican hand-wringing reflects discomfort among some in the party over the president’s shutdown strategy," the Journal reported. "Soon after government funding lapsed last week, Trump said the shutdown gave him an 'unprecedented opportunity' to make cuts at agencies. White House officials have said they are considering firing thousands of federal workers and have raised the possibility that some workers won’t get back pay."
"The White House strategy is aimed at putting pressure on Democrats to reach a deal to reopen the government," the report added. "But Democrats have refused to budge, arguing that Republicans first need to agree to extend expiring healthcare subsidies upon which millions of Americans rely."
The administration so far hasn't carried out the layoffs Trump threatened, although he said this week that option was still on the table, and his advisers have pledged to use tariff revenue to preserve funding for a food program for women, infants and children, but the president rattled Republicans by claiming he was working with Democrats on a deal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
"Democratic lawmakers quickly said no such talks were under way and Trump later clarified on social media that he was 'happy to work with' the Democrats, but only after the government reopens," the Journal reported. "The mixed messaging from the president has frustrated some Republicans, who have said they are eager for Trump to chart a clear path forward for dealing with the shutdown."
The White House and Republicans are united around the message that Democrats are solely to blame for the shutdown, and GOP lawmakers insist negotiations shouldn't even start until they vote to reopen the government, but they also understand that strategy carries real risks.
"The simmering tension among Republicans comes as Democrats, who for months have struggled to recover from their losses in the recent election, have united around a shutdown message focused on healthcare," the Journal reported. "White House officials and some Republicans have privately acknowledged that they could take a political hit if voters blame them for higher healthcare costs. Ending the subsidies would result in higher premiums for more than 20 million people."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been waiting for Republicans to blink, as hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed and others have been working without pay, and some of them – including military service members – could soon start missing paychecks.
"Presidents have some discretion over the effects of a shutdown, including which agency functions are given priority and which workers get furloughed," the Journal reported. "But if the shutdown continues, the pain from the shutdown will be difficult to avoid. People close to Thune and top Republicans said they acknowledge that without a spending deal, the government will be forced to make hard decisions."