SHUTDOWN CHICKEN: Republicans Ice Out Dems in Budget Fight
27th September 2025
As Republicans show no sign of giving in to their demands, Democrats are facing a difficult decision in the coming days—cave in and allow a Republican-backed stopgap funding bill to pass Congress and keep the government open or allow a partial government shutdown?
The U.S. Senate is currently scheduled to return to work Sept. 29, a day before Congress’ deadline to pass a new spending measure to continue funding government operations. A shutdown could lead to several categories of federal workers not being paid, at least temporarily during the shutdown, as well as interruptions to certain government services.
Republicans are looking to pass a seven-week continuing resolution, which would roughly extend current spending levels—the spending levels of the previous Biden administration. They need at least seven Democrat votes in the Senate to bring the bill to the floor.
Democrats, however, have made big demands to keep the government open, including undoing recently passed cost-saving Medicaid reforms, hamstringing the White House’s ability to rescind certain federal funding, and extending expiring Obamacare health care premium tax credits, which were enhanced during the previous administration.
But on Friday, President Donald Trump, having previously canceled plans to meet with Democrats about their demands, appeared unbothered while attending the Ryder Cup golf tournament in Farmingdale, New York.
Democrats appeared outraged as it became apparent that Republicans were inviting them to a game of shutdown chicken.
Yup, Trump doesn’t play the Deep State kabuki-dance.