Former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger issued a call to Democrats Friday to “hold the line” on a looming government shutdown standoff, and gave party leaders a roadmap on how to seize back control from President Donald Trump’s GOP in the process.
Congress is currently embroiled in intense debate over spending, with key points of debate centering around funding for health care, particularly around funding for the Affordable Care Act, which offers government health insurance subsidies for eligible Americans. And, with an Oct. 1 deadline looming for Congress to pass a new spending bill, many are already anticipating a government shutdown.
What Democrats should do to navigate negotiations amid a looming shutdown, Kinzinger argued, was “straightforward.”
“Make a concise list of demands, explain them to the public, and hold the line,” Kinzinger wrote on his Substack, where he frequently shares interviews and op-eds he’s penned.
“Do not allow Republicans to frame this as shared failure. The government can only be funded if Republicans act responsibly. If they choose chaos, let them explain that to the American people. Democrats must make sure that responsibility – and accountability – cannot be blurred.”
Allowing Republicans to be branded as having chosen “chaos,” Kinzinger argued, was all the more easier considering the GOP itself is already “painfully divided” on spending priorities, especially when it comes to health care, according to a recent report from Semafor.
Kinzinger’s roadmap for Democrats was also in stark contrast to Democratic leadership’s handling of the most recent threat of a government shutdown back in March, describing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as having “essentially folded” to Republicans’ demands.
“Democrats got little in return while Republicans claimed victory and quickly moved on to their next demand; this cannot happen again, this is the only realistic chance Democrats will have before the next election to press for practical, popular priorities” Kinzinger wrote.
“...Some moderate Democrats are fretting that they’ll be blamed for a shutdown. That fear is misplaced. Democrats don’t control the House. They don’t control the Supreme Court. They don’t control the White House. This is a Republican government and it is the Republican Party’s responsibility to keep the lights on.”