GOP fears boomerang as threat of government shutdown grows

The prospect of a government shutdown grew on Wednesday as a small group of conservative Republicans demanded a vote to defund President BidenJoe BidenBiden and Harris host ‘family’ Hanukkah celebration with more than 150 guests Symone Sanders to leave the White House at the end of the year Overnight Defense & National Security — Senate looks to break defense bill stalemate MORE’s vaccine mandate in exchange for letting a stopgap funding measure pass by Friday’s deadline.

Republicans fear that Senate conservatives led by Sens. Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway LeeGOP sets back Biden’s vaccine mandates amid omicron On The Money — Powell, Yellen face pressure on inflation Senate Republicans clash over government shutdown strategy MORE (R-Utah) and Roger MarshallRoger W. MarshallOn The Money — Powell, Yellen face pressure on inflation Senate Republicans clash over government shutdown strategy Conservatives could force shutdown over Biden vaccine mandate MORE (R-Kan.) will hold up the government funding deal for days in a maneuver that could boomerang on their party — just as a similar strategy to use a government funding measure as leverage to stop the implementation of the Affordable Care Act blew up in their faces eight years ago.

Some Republican senators are privately arguing that forcing a government shutdown would give Democrats a political lifeline at a time when Biden’s approval rating is hovering just above 40 percent.

The old adage in politics is that if your opponent is shooting himself in the foot, get out of the way. And many Republicans don’t want to shift attention away from rising inflation and Biden’s controversial climate and social spending agenda and onto a government shutdown that would likely be blamed on the GOP.  

Yet Lee and others are holding out, leaving the possibility that there could be a shutdown the GOP might pay for.

“There was not full agreement, that’s for sure,” Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman Roy BluntRoy Dean BluntOvernight Defense & National Security — Senate looks to break defense bill stalemate Senate GOP moving toward deal to break defense bill stalemate Senate Republicans clash over government shutdown strategy MORE (Mo.) said after Republican senators debated at lunch Wednesday whether to use a potential shutdown as leverage.

“I think shutdowns almost never work out very well,” he added.

A shutdown could happen if Lee, Marshall and other like-minded GOP senators object to requests to speed up floor procedure to allow the Senate to pass any government funding bill that comes over from the House. Congress must act by the stroke of midnight Friday to avoid a shutdown.

Conservatives could delay final passage of a funding measure for up to nine days, since Senate rules give any individual senator an array of tools to slow down a bill.

Blunt said Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerDemocrats wrangle to keep climate priorities in spending bill  Coons says White House could impose border fee for carbon-intensive products The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – The omicron threat and Biden’s plan to beat it MORE  (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi