19th January 2018, 10:33 PM
The government just shut down because the Senate failed to pass a bill that continues to fund the government. It needed 60 votes, but the vote failed 50-49, with 45 Rs and 5 Dems voting Yes, and 44 Dems and 4 Rs (plus McConnell for procedural reasons) voting No.
The main reason that is happened is because Trump is incompetent, and is unable to stick to one policy demand for more than the amount of time it takes for the next person to start speaking. So, his far-right immigrant-hating advisers sabotaged all attempts and negotiation, Trump went along with it because he is not smart (and is racist too), and the result is this, a shutdown.
On the one hand, DACA is important and a worthwhile program, and it should continue.
On the other hand though, I am somewhat worried about shutting down the government mostly over that issue, because as important as it is, is it enough to justify a shutdown with? While it only happened that way because of some pretty disgusting (and racist) Republican skulduggery, I don't like the look of Republicans voting to keep the government open, and us voting to close it. Democrats should be the party in favor of government. In this case given how bad their actions were, to refuse any and all offers on DACA because the hard right doesn't want the program (or any brown people) period, the shutdown is probably justified, but I really wish it hadn't come to this.
On the other other hand though, McConnell and Trump's disgustingly racist language and speeches over DACA and the shutdown make me question that caution and kind of want to shut the government down, because seriously, their behavior is disgusting and language is unconscionable! Schumer was absolutely right in his speech, while Democrats provided the votes that shut the government down, Trump's inability to learn how government works or push for a deal that would have gotten him a lot of what he wants is the reason why this shutdown is happening, and it will only end when or if Trump manages to actually have a position on something. Considering how unlikely that is, though, this could take a while...
Or else another short-term continuing resolution will pass and we'll be back at this in a few weeks. We'll see.
Either way, the core of the problem here is that budgets need 60 votes, and Trump and the Republican Party have forgotten how to govern in a democracy. You can't pass a budget with a party-line vote, but very few people on their side are willing willing to offend their extremist racist base, so they keep refusing to make a DACA deal, keep trying to build Trump's wall, and have spent most of the past decade refusing to work with Democrats on most anything. But a functioning democracy requires TWO parties, not one, and two parties which sometimes work together on things. We don't have that anymore, so the system is breaking down, as you see here. Trump's ignorance and incompetence makes all of the other problems incalculably worse, and with the two together you get, well, this: a shutdown because Republicans refuse to negotiate, and Democrats have finally had enough and are finally actually going to stand for something. It's about time.
But the big question is, who will benefit from this in the end? A large part of that depends on what the result of the shutdown and budget deals is, of course. Who will cave first? Who wins the deal? And in November, will Dems suffer for this because of voting no, will they benefit because of a base energized by Dems finally actually not caving in immediately on an important issue, or will it end up not being a major factor? I'm not really sure, it could go any of those ways. We will have to see.
The main reason that is happened is because Trump is incompetent, and is unable to stick to one policy demand for more than the amount of time it takes for the next person to start speaking. So, his far-right immigrant-hating advisers sabotaged all attempts and negotiation, Trump went along with it because he is not smart (and is racist too), and the result is this, a shutdown.
On the one hand, DACA is important and a worthwhile program, and it should continue.
On the other hand though, I am somewhat worried about shutting down the government mostly over that issue, because as important as it is, is it enough to justify a shutdown with? While it only happened that way because of some pretty disgusting (and racist) Republican skulduggery, I don't like the look of Republicans voting to keep the government open, and us voting to close it. Democrats should be the party in favor of government. In this case given how bad their actions were, to refuse any and all offers on DACA because the hard right doesn't want the program (or any brown people) period, the shutdown is probably justified, but I really wish it hadn't come to this.
On the other other hand though, McConnell and Trump's disgustingly racist language and speeches over DACA and the shutdown make me question that caution and kind of want to shut the government down, because seriously, their behavior is disgusting and language is unconscionable! Schumer was absolutely right in his speech, while Democrats provided the votes that shut the government down, Trump's inability to learn how government works or push for a deal that would have gotten him a lot of what he wants is the reason why this shutdown is happening, and it will only end when or if Trump manages to actually have a position on something. Considering how unlikely that is, though, this could take a while...
Or else another short-term continuing resolution will pass and we'll be back at this in a few weeks. We'll see.
Either way, the core of the problem here is that budgets need 60 votes, and Trump and the Republican Party have forgotten how to govern in a democracy. You can't pass a budget with a party-line vote, but very few people on their side are willing willing to offend their extremist racist base, so they keep refusing to make a DACA deal, keep trying to build Trump's wall, and have spent most of the past decade refusing to work with Democrats on most anything. But a functioning democracy requires TWO parties, not one, and two parties which sometimes work together on things. We don't have that anymore, so the system is breaking down, as you see here. Trump's ignorance and incompetence makes all of the other problems incalculably worse, and with the two together you get, well, this: a shutdown because Republicans refuse to negotiate, and Democrats have finally had enough and are finally actually going to stand for something. It's about time.
But the big question is, who will benefit from this in the end? A large part of that depends on what the result of the shutdown and budget deals is, of course. Who will cave first? Who wins the deal? And in November, will Dems suffer for this because of voting no, will they benefit because of a base energized by Dems finally actually not caving in immediately on an important issue, or will it end up not being a major factor? I'm not really sure, it could go any of those ways. We will have to see.