While Republicans assert they hold the moral high ground in the government shutdown debate, recent polls indicate that Americans tend to blame them more than Democrats for the situation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has emphasized that the stopgap bill passed by the House is free of partisan bias and aims to fund the government until November 21. However, Senate Democrats have consistently obstructed this bill, insisting that negotiations on health care, particularly concerning the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies at year’s end, must take place first.
This week, Johnson pointed to news about the impending shutdown, assigning responsibility to Democrats.
“If Republicans were at fault for this shutdown, you’d see it plastered across every major news outlet and on the front page of every newspaper every single day,” Johnson claimed at a press conference, suggesting that the media was downplaying the role of Democrats in this issue.
“The American people aren’t naïve; we’re here each day appealing to their common sense and presenting them with the facts,” he added.
Yet, various polls reflect that a slightly higher number of Americans consider Republicans responsible for the government shutdown rather than Democrats.
In a survey conducted from October 15 to 20, 50% of respondents attributed the shutdown to Republicans, while 43% blamed Democrats.
Similarly, in a poll from October 16 to 20, 45% of registered voters held Congressional Republicans accountable, compared to 39% who felt Congressional Democrats deserved the blame.
A survey from October 17 to 20 revealed that 39% of respondents blamed Republicans versus 31% who pointed fingers at Democrats. Additionally, 45% believed that Democrats should refrain from altering health care funding until the shutdown is resolved, while 32% disagreed.
Such national sentiments have only encouraged Democrats to deepen their stance on the impasse.
“They control the House, the Senate, and the presidency. Since Donald Trump returned to office, it’s been their way or no way. It’s no surprise they’re bearing the brunt of the blame, and they’re hesitant to negotiate,” stated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from New York during a discussion on MSNBC.
In response to these polls, Republicans are attempting to position themselves as the rational party by introducing a straightforward continuing resolution (CR).
When questioned about national sentiment, Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Nebraska) remarked, “If you think about rationality, I believe it’s the Republican Party. A clean CR is what we’ve done, and it’s occurred 13 times during Biden’s administration.”
However, the tactics from Republican leadership amidst the shutdown conflict have sparked controversy.
Johnson maintained that Parliament had fulfilled its responsibilities and did not suspend operations during the shutdown. He insisted appropriators were drafting a regular funding bill while the House remained in session. On the other hand, Democrats accuse Republicans of being on a sort of “vacation” during this time.
Moreover, Johnson faced criticism for not swearing in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (R-Ariz.) during the House’s recess, with claims he was trying to hinder a vote related to the late Jeffrey Epstein’s files, an allegation he denies. This led to a lawsuit from Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays concerning Grijalva’s oath.
Smith, who presided over a formal session of the House, acknowledged that leadership has the ability to call members back but did not imply any need for a shift in Republican strategy.
“I see no indication that we need to change our current schedule,” Smith stated.
Despite public opinion placing greater blame on Republicans for the shutdown, President Trump’s approval ratings have remained stable, and even improved slightly as the funding shortfall stretches into its fourth week. His approval rating reportedly rose from 44% on September 30 to 46.2% on October 23.
Throughout the month of October, Trump has largely stayed out of the shutdown debate, focusing instead on significant international affairs, including overseeing a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza and welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House. He’s also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and is set to begin a major tour of Asia next week.
The president rejected a meeting request from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Jeffries regarding health care discussions amidst the ongoing shutdown. “I’ll only meet with you if you open up the country,” Trump told reporters this week.
