Republicans Seem Comfortable In Shutdown Standoff

Playbook: “Top GOP minds involved in these talks on the Hill tell us that they will not, under any circumstance, consider DACA or a budget deal if the government is closed. They say a deal must be reached to fund the government, then they can talk about immigration and budget caps.”

“Senior Republicans say they will force Democrats to vote against reopening the government over and over until they relent. Of course, the Senate oftentimes backs away from the brink. But remember: Senate Democrats have re-elections in Trump states like West Virginia, Missouri, North Dakota and Indiana. So Senate Republicans have the political imperative to press a bit here.”

“Democrats, meanwhile, have more resolve than we’ve seen in a while. For many of them, the DACA issue is a core value — not a political position. They say they are tired of not being consulted on legislation where Republicans need their support. Dems hope that today — after Republicans fail to move forward on the bill — cooler heads will prevail, and they’ll come to the table to negotiate.”