Republicans and Democrats have talked past each other for weeks, with each side refusing to pivot from their calls for a seven-week "clean" stopgap package and for protecting Affordable Care Act subsidies, respectively.
But with the high-stakes deadline approaching, Republicans are warning members of the minority party that if a shutdown comes to pass, Trump will make life incredibly difficult for them.
"I'd be much more worried if I were a blue state. The president has a lot of discretionary power on what he declares is ... essential," said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) when asked about a shutdown's impact on his state. "We do not want a shutdown."
For the first time in a while, Republicans believe they have the wind at their sails heading into a shutdown fight. The party has been largely united behind the seven-week continuing resolution (CR) push, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) heading the efforts.
They also have additional tools in their toolkit they appear ready and willing to wield if the government’s lights go dark — some of which have been used against them in the past.
A number of Republicans have cited the impact of the 2013 shutdown, which then-President Obama and then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) used to pillory the GOP when conservatives were attempting to defund ObamaCare.
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