Democrats: Be a fox, not a possum, on the budget

Shrewd plays can show the American people that Democrats are on their side.

By Jim Kessler

With consumer confidence plummeting, inflation back on the rise, and the specter of Trump tariffs sparking a global recession, the last thing the American public needs is a government shutdown to add new uncertainty into the economy. But that is a very real possibility as a short-term, stopgap government funding bill passed in the final weeks of the Biden administration expires March 14.

Donald Trump and Republicans control all branches of the federal government, and keeping the lights on is unquestionably their responsibility. At the same time, there is no way to pass a government funding bill without the support of at least some Democrats. Incompetence and internal divisions within the House Republican caucus means it is unlikely Speaker Mike Johnson will be able to corral the necessary votes out of his recalcitrant GOP House members. The Senate filibuster requires 60 votes to get a spending bill through the upper body, which means a minimum of seven Democratic votes will be necessary.

One option for Democrats is the “play possum” path. They would simply do nothing, deny Republicans their votes, let the government shut down for a prolonged period, and see where the political chips fall. Option two is the “play like a fox” approach—an option that could unite Democrats afflicted with the responsibility gene who are inclined to make things work and those who say Republicans made this mess and should clean it up.

This latter approach was articulated recently by Rahm Emanuel on Kara Swisher's podcast. Democrats must exact a price for bailing Trump and the GOP Congress out of their mess, and that price must be articulated through ironclad principles that speak to the interests of ordinary Americans, Emanuel stated. These principles should be clear, concise, and public, so that Republican negotiators—and American voters—have no doubt about where Democrats stand and what is at stake. In other words, come to the table with an offer designed to win the battle of reasonableness and let Republicans play ball or shut down the government.

What should those principles be? One overriding principle could be the backbone of a Democratic offer on the continuing resolution: safety.

1. Safeguard kids and their education. Democrats should demand full funding for the public schools, special education, school lunches, nutrition for infants, Head Start, and other programs that directly affect the well-being and future of young people.

2. Protect people’s health care. No budget deal should force families off their health insurance, raise the costs of health care coverage and prescription drugs, eliminate government subsidies for care, put children or the elderly at risk of losing benefits that could jeopardize their lives, or reduce access to specific health care services such as contraception.

3. Keep our roads, rails, ports, and airways safe. There must be no budget riders or recissions that delay improvements to our infrastructure or put Americans in danger when flying or driving, or slow down commerce that keeps our economy moving.

4. No cuts to public safety. Local police and crime prevention programs must be fully funded, as well as all federal law enforcement, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Transportation Security Administration, and Border Patrol.

5. Guard Americans’ data privacy. The unprecedented assault by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency on Americans’ personal and confidential information cannot continue. Any budget deal must put people’s right to privacy ahead of the business and political interests of any person, particularly the chief executive of a social media company.

Even with these public safety principles, any government funding deal must include a guarantee that a law passed by Congress and signed in ink by the president will be adhered to by all parties. In the past, this final clause would not need to be spelled out. Alas, we are in a different environment now, and specific safeguards must be negotiated to make sure Trump’s signature is his bond.

As tempting as it is for Democrats to simply play dead given the lawlessness we are seeing, that is not how we are built. But if we make a shrewd offer based on shared principles and articulate the offer clearly and early, we will leave no doubt that we stand on the side of the American people. If that is not good enough for Trump and congressional Republicans, then they are welcome to own the shutdown.

Jim Kessler is executive vice president for Policy at Third Way, a center-left think tank and advocacy organization.

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