Here’s everything you need to know about the possible government shutdown: Issues, votes and demands

Part of a healthy democracy is compromise, negotiating out what can and cannot be done with the power that has been given to lawmakers, as well as money that has been approved to be able to spend. However, both sides of the aisle in Congress are dug in for a budget dispute that has been brewing for months which could see the federal government shutdown starting midnight 1 October.

Basically, President Donald Trump and his GOP allies in Congress are telling Democrats to accept unconditionally a stopgap bill to keep the federal government funded temporarily. Democrats want to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act that are about to expire as well as reverse Medicaid cuts that the GOP passed this summer and Trump signed into law to help pay for their tax cut plan.

While Republicans were able to do the latter with their majority in both chambers of Congress, with their 53-47 majority in the Senate they don’t have enough Senators to overcome the 60-vote threshold they will need to prevent their unilateral funding extension proposal from getting stymied, and thus a government shutdown.

Who has the upper hand in the standoff?

Government shutdowns are detested by the American public. Federal workers are furloughed, non-essential services stop, and it hurts the US economy. But who will the American public blame?

Generally, it is the party that instigates the government shutdown. However, supporters of the Democratic party are looking for lawmakers to take a stand against Trump and his Project 2025 allies push toward authoritarian rule.

In March, Democrats gave the Republicans the votes they needed in the Senate to pass another continuing resolution bill to fund the government and prevent a shutdown. However, afterwards Trump used recission to claw back the money that had been approved on a bipartisan basis and Republican lawmakers voted to approve it.

“When Democrats did the responsible thing, Republicans just kind of threw it in our face,” an aide to a Senate Democrat who voted for that continuing resolution told MSNBC. That has been one of the reasons Democrats have cited for why they are digging in their heels with this stopgap bill.

As well, Democrats hope to draw attention to Republicans making healthcare more expensive for ordinary Americans through their policies to restrict access to Medicaid and take down the Affordable Healthcare Act, i.e. Obamacare. “There is going to be huge pressure on Republican senators, congressmen and even Trump to do something about this horrible health care crisis,” said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Furthermore, the Trump administration has threatened to use a possible government shutdown to fire federal workers who are working in programs that are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” This could give Democrats a leg up after the mass layoffs of federal workers that have occurred this year under Trump.

But should a potential government shutdown occur and it causes harm to the economy, it could play into the White House’s hand, being used to distract from the problems Trump’s own policies are already inflicting on the economy.

He has promised to bring down prices and get Americans back to work. However, his raising of tariffs is starting to be felt in the economy, along with his administration’s mass firings of civil servants and deportation raids. Inflation has begun to rise again while at the same time hiring in the labor market has slowed and unemployment is on the rise.

This latest game of chicken will come to a head at the end of Tuesday and it looks to get ugly. A senior aide to a moderate Democrat told CNN: “This will be a long, high-stakes shutdown unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. No one knows how this will end. Brace yourselves for one hell of a storm.”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.