Trump is prepared: 'If there's a shutdown, there's a shutdown'

[SirLinksALot]

SOURCE: AMERICAN THINKER


URL: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/04/trump_if_theres_a_shutdown_theres_a_shutdown.html

Rick Moran


With less than 24 hours before the government runs out of money, precipitating a partial shutdown of services, President Donald Trump let the Democrats know that there are limits to what he and the Republican Congress will accept to keep the government operating.

Democrats have been piling up conditions under which they would agree to a budget resolution that would fund the government through September 30. But the difficulty of the negotiations have forced Hill Republicans to offer a one week extension of funding to keep the government operating.

But if Democrats won't accept the stop gap measure, the president is prepared for a government shut down.

Reuters:

"We'll see what happens. If there's a shutdown, there's a shutdown," Trump told Reuters in an interview, adding that Democrats would be to blame if the federal government was left unfunded.

Congress has until 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday to pass a bill to fund the government or face a shutdown, which would temporarily lay off hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

Republicans introduced a bill on Wednesday to fund government operations at current levels for one more week, giving them time to finish negotiations with Democrats on the plan for the rest of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

Trump said a shutdown would be a "very negative thing" but that his administration was prepared if it was necessary.

In a wide-ranging interview, he defended the one-page tax plan he unveiled on Wednesday from criticism that it would increase the U.S. deficit, saying better trade deals and economic growth would offset the costs.

"We will do trade deals that are going to make up for a tremendous amount of the deficit. We are going to be doing trade deals that are going to be much better trade deals," Trump said.

Trump also said it would be unfair to offer a debt bailout to Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, because it was unfair to people in U.S. states.

Democrats have made continued Obamacare payments to insurance companies one condition they've imposed to support a funding bill.  Another is a refusal to allow any money for the president's border wall.  It remains to be seen how far Republicans will go to get the Democrats on board for the short-term funding extension, given that they need 12-15 Democrats in the House voting for the bill for the measure to pass.

Trump's statement may be a gambit to force the Democrats to put up or shut up.  A partial shutdown of government is a crap shoot for both parties, since blame for it would probably be shared equally by Republicans and Democrats.  History shows that the media will almost certainly blame the Republicans – and specifically President Trump – for the impasse, even though in this case, it is the Democrats who are setting impossible conditions for their vote.

My guess is that a stopgap funding bill will be passed near or shortly after midnight tonight.

[geronl]

If not giving a crap is "prepared", then he is prepared.

[XenaLee]

It will be the Democrats (not the Republicans) that will be guilty of shutting down the government via their usual and ssdd obstructionism.

Trump should make that case and use it against them.  But will he?

[truth_seeker]

Laying off tens of thousands of government employees would, on balance, be a good thing.

Perhaps we could shut down the government for a few hours each day, lay off thousands, and require those remaining to get by with less.

Reduce the scope and cost of their endeavors. Next week repeat.

I used to be a budget director for a couple of corporations. My role was reducing cost. A theory I learned from wise old hands, was to cut and cut some more, until vital services were impacted. Then stop cutting and re-evaluate.

One high ranking manager used "What are we doing, why are we doing it, when are we going to stop?"

[SirLinksALot]

 

If not giving a crap is "prepared", then he is prepared.

I think not giving a crap is a good thing. Essential services go on, as for non-essential services .... why do they exist in the first place?

[SirLinksALot]

Laying off tens of thousands of government employees would, on balance, be a good thing.

Perhaps we could shut down the government for a few hours each day, lay off thousands, and require those remaining to get by with less.

Reduce the scope and cost of their endeavors. Next week repeat.

I used to be a budget director for a couple of corporations. My role was reducing cost. A theory I learned from wise old hands, was to cut and cut some more, until vital services were impacted. Then stop cutting and re-evaluate.

One high ranking manager used "What are we doing, why are we doing it, when are we going to stop?"

Trump has a golden opportunity here! Trump can say “Hey look! We can see during the shutdown which government programs and employees are truly essential and those that aren’t! This will greatly aid us in establishing our priorities when we present our 2018 Government Reduction Act and accompanying budget next year!”

Once the voters actually see how much government that they can live without the effectiveness of media/democrat scare stories will diminish.

[truth_seeker]

Trump has a golden opportunity here! Trump can say “Hey look! We can see during the shutdown which government programs and employees are truly essential and those that aren’t! This will greatly aid us in establishing our priorities when we present our 2018 Government Reduction Act and accompanying budget next year!”

Once the voters actually see how much government that they can live without the effectiveness of media/democrat scare stories will diminish.

Under democrats, they would cut the most vital things first, to make it hurt immediately.

If so called "conservatism" is worth anything, they would cut the least necessary things first, to prove how much waste there is.

Twenty five years ago, I took on a city program director, who was bringing in kids from other towns to spray paint on city wall, "Art."

She called me an "hysterical old white man." I got the program shut down, but she merely transferred to another position.

[Right_in_Virginia]

When did we become so frightened of government shutdowns?

[skeeter]

When did we become so frightened of government shutdowns?

When the GOP decided that the threat of one alone sufficed as a handy reason to avoid hard choices.

[Right_in_Virginia]

When the GOP decided that the threat of one alone sufficed as a handy reason to avoid hard choices.

Great point.  Thanks!

[Hondo69]

When Obama had a choice of what to shut down he targeted WWII Vets visiting a memorial.

If I were Trump, I'd wait for the shut down to occur, then send my private plane to gather up those Vets and fly them to Washington.  Then I'd treat them to anything they care to see or do.

[geronl]

When Obama had a choice of what to shut down he targeted WWII Vets visiting a memorial.

and tried to keep people from seeing Mt Rushmore and Mt Vernon home of George Washington (which is private and not government!)

[geronl]

When Obama had a choice of what to shut down he targeted WWII Vets visiting a memorial.

If I were Trump, I'd wait for the shut down to occur, then send my private plane to gather up those Vets and fly them to Washington.  Then I'd treat them to anything they care to see or do.

Trump could personally fund a Veterans picnic there.