Former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.) said Wednesday that the blame for a potential government shutdown would likely fall on Democrats.
“They’re going to be blamed for shutting it down,” Manchin told Semafor. “Why would they want to put themselves in that position? They don’t have leverage on those types of things.”
He added, “You’ve got to understand the position you’re in — you play the hand that you’re given.”
Government funding is set to lapse on Sept. 30 if lawmakers are unable to reach a stopgap deal to keep the lights on. Democratic leaders in the House have already rejected a 91-page proposal unveiled Tuesday by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) that would have extended the shutdown deadline through Nov. 21.
The continuing resolution (CR) would also provide an additional $58 million in security funding for executive branch officials and the Supreme Court and $30 million in security funding for members of Congress in their home states and districts. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concern for their safety in the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week.
However, citing a lack of Democratic input and the GOP’s refusal to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) voiced opposition to the Republican-backed proposal in a Tuesday statement.
The two claimed that “Republicans are steering our country straight toward a shutdown.”
One Democratic senator told The Hill earlier this week that a shutdown would send a “message” to President Trump, who told “Fox & Friends” last week that Congressional Republicans should “not even bother” attempting to garner Democratic support to fund the government.
Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent who retired from the Senate in January, criticized that very approach in his interview with Semafor.
“Why should you make other people suffer for your ineptness of doing your job? Tell me. Who are they going to blame? OK, I’m sure Democrats have looked and said, ‘We’ve got to make a stand here,’” he said.
“You’re making a stand,” the former senator continued. “Are you going to change anything? And how many people will be hurt by the stand you make?”
If the government were to shut down, it would mark the first time that has happened since a 35-day shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, the longest in the nation’s history. The lapse in funding occurred when Democrats rebuked President Trump’s demands during his first term to fund the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Manchin called that stalemate “crazy,” adding that “nothing made sense, buddy.”
The West Virginia independent also praised Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.), who has insisted that a shutdown is “never a good idea.” He called Fetterman’s viewpoint “refreshing.”
The recent interview came two days after his book, “Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense,” was released.
The Hill has reached out to Schumer and Jeffries for comment.
