"Democrats are dug in, emboldened by rebounding support from their voters and determined to walk away from the shutdown with something to show for their intransigence. Democratic lawmakers tell Axios they feel they have the upper hand and that Republicans are poised to come to the negotiating table - though Republicans say essentially the exact opposite. Driving the news: American Federation of Government Employees president Everett Kelley released a statement Monday saying "it's time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today.""
"Kelley said the Democrats should do what they have sworn not to: Pass the GOP's "clean" stopgap government funding bill on the expectation of future negotiations on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. What we're hearing: "I have a lot of AFGE members in my district and they are pissed ... at the statement," said one D.C.-area House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid open conflict with one of the largest unions in their district. "They think Republicans have been shutting down the government anyway and buy our argument [about the] ACA," the lawmaker said. A second D.C.-area lawmaker said they are "not sure there is much of a difference" after the statement and that the potential cut off of nutrition assistance benefits is "is the bigger issue to watch.""
"Between the lines: Democrats have also said throughout the shutdown that furloughs and RIFs aren't effective pressure points as in past shutdowns because the administration has been laying off huge swaths of the federal workforce for months. The first House Democrat who spoke to Axios said AFGE members in their district "think that if the shutdown ends with a bipartisan deal that there will be light at the end of the tunnel and some room for optimism.""
Democrats are maintaining a firm stance in the government shutdown, citing rebounding voter support and a goal of securing concessions rather than accepting a GOP "clean" continuing resolution. AFGE president Everett Kelley urged passage of a clean CR and suggested Democrats accept the GOP stopgap to enable later talks on ACA subsidies, prompting frustration among some House Democrats with large union memberships. Lawmakers raised concern that cuts to nutrition assistance could be a more significant consequence. Democrats noted that furloughs and reductions in force have reduced leverage because the administration has already cut substantial portions of the federal workforce. Some members view a bipartisan deal as potential hope.
Read at Axios
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