The Schumer Shutdown might be running out of steam faster than Democrats expected. While Chuck Schumer and his colleagues in the Senate manufactured this government shutdown in the hope of getting free healthcare for illegals, cracks are starting to show in their united front. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) just became the latest Democrat to break ranks, and maybe… just maybe… his voice could signal a turning point in this Democrat-created crisis.
Golden isn't mincing words about what he sees happening within his own party. He's openly criticizing the far-left groups pressuring Democrats to reject any Republican proposal to fund the government, regardless of the consequences for ordinary Americans.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (Maine) criticized “far-left groups” for demanding Democrats vote against a Republican-backed proposal to fund the government.
“This government shutdown is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump,” Golden said in a Wednesday statement.
Golden was the lone Democrat to vote for the GOP funding bill, which passed the House 217-212 on Sept. 19.
In a statement the day of the vote, Golden’s office pointed to the impacts a shutdown would have on the more than 12,000 federal workers in Maine and argued a closure would give the president “extraordinary leeway in determining which aspects of government are ‘essential,’ and which can be shuttered.”
"There's room and time to negotiate. But normal policy disagreements are no reason to subject our constituents to the continued harm of this shutdown," Golden added. Imagine that, using the legislative process to work through disagreements instead of throwing a tantrum.
Senate Democrats have now blocked Republican efforts to advance the funding bill three times. The consequences are piling up fast. Mass firings and layoffs loom across federal agencies.
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Golden isn't completely alone in recognizing this disaster for what it is. Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, all voted for the GOP funding bill in the Senate. Unfortunately, their collective moment of sanity wasn't enough to overcome the opposition from the rest of the Democratic caucus.
Golden may be one voice, but it’s a sign that Democrats aren’t as united as they are presenting themselves to be. To make matters worse for them, the media seems to be very much aware that the shutdown is the Democrats’ fault, which complicates their messaging.
Golden deserves credit for being a rare voice of reason in a party that's increasingly driven by its most extreme elements. But one congressman isn't enough. More Democrats need to recognize the political quicksand they're standing in and speak out. If Democrats want to avoid carrying this albatross into the midterm elections next year, they'd better start listening to Golden and his colleagues who understand that governance requires more than rigid ideology. The Schumer Shutdown may not last much longer if common sense continues spreading through Democratic ranks.
The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this. Help us continue to report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.
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