It’s time for Democrats to act
by Josh Siegel
John Boehner could end the Washington shutdown by calling an up-or-down vote on the so-called “clean” continuing resolution to fund the government for six weeks without touching the Affordable Care Act. The speaker’s unwillingness to do so illustrates a lack of pragmatic courage to overrule the more extreme elements of his caucus. President Barack Obama and Senate majority leader Harry Reid are justified in their impatience with the House GOP’s strategy to kill the Affordable Care Act via hijacking of the legislative process. But Democrats in Washington are not doing their part to bring an end to the current stalemate.
President Obama’s claim that “one faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government” ignores that fact that one faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of government did shut down the entire government. The House GOP may not be adhering to the traditional Washington rule book, but respect for tradition is no longer an effective approach to governing in today’s hyper-partisan political climate. Democrats must be equally unconventional in their strategy to transcend gridlock.
The president and Democrats currently have public opinion on their side. However, as the government continues to sit idle, Democrats will find it increasingly difficult to avoid negotiating with the GOP. The stakes will increase as Washington nears the October 17 deadline to dodge default.
What can Democrats do to move the country forward?
First, the Senate should pass, and the president should sign, every piecemeal appropriations bill passed by the House. Every agency that reopens means one less agency held hostage by the GOP. If every appropriations bill exiting the House becomes law, Republicans lose leverage to force Democratic concessions on conservative policy priorities.
Second, the president should negotiate with Congress on the debt ceiling. Since Republicans are currently losing the public opinion battle, the White House can reclaim momentum and outmaneuver the GOP by opening substantive talks on a broader budget deal. Do Republicans want to discuss tax and entitlement reform? Then talk about tax and title reform. The president should hold the line at the Affordable Care Act, but all other budget-related items should be fair game for negotiation.
Nobody except the Tea Party wins if the shutdown continues and the government defaults. If the economy takes a nosedive, there will be plenty of blame to go around. Barack Obama should call John Boehner’s bluff and force the speaker to the table. Pulling the speaker out of his leadership lull can end the stalemate by shifting the onus onto House Republicans to prove that they can govern. The president has little to lose by trying, and America has everything to gain if he succeeds.
Josh Siegel holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University. He previously served as special assistant to the vice chairman and senior fellow on the global economy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and currently works as an executive assistant in academia. You can find Josh on Twitter @CitizenSiegel or reach him via email at [email protected]. Josh blogs at citizensiegel.wordpress.com.