NJ Senator Andy Kim issued a stern warning, stating that Democrats are unlikely to assist Republicans in preventing a government shutdown next month unless President Trump relinquishes some of his control and allows Congress to reclaim its power.
Kim (D-NJ) pointed to Trump’s use of the executive branch as a major factor in pushing the country toward a “constitutional crisis,” aligning with Democratic strategies to leverage the shutdown debate to their advantage.
“This is on them,” Kim said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, addressing Republicans. “They are the majority. And if they cannot govern then, you know, that’s for the American people to see.”
If Congress does not take action, the government will shut down on March 14. While Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, it is widely believed that they lack the votes needed to avoid a shutdown without Democratic support.
This is due to the Republican Party’s fragile majority in the House and the presence of a faction of hardliners who oppose nearly all efforts to prevent a shutdown.
“I’ve worked through multiple government shutdowns,” Kim remarked. “I would be the last person to want to get to that stage. But we are at a point where we are basically on the cusp of a constitutional crisis seeing this administration taking steps that are so clearly illegal.”
“Until we see a change in that behavior we should not allow and condone that, nor should we assist in that.”
Kim’s comments referenced Trump’s attempts to reshape the government through the use of executive powers, a move that has drawn criticism from members of Congress who argue that it violates the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution.
For example, the Trump administration recently tried to merge the U.S. Agency for International Development with the State Department, an initiative that has faced legal challenges in the courts.
Trump has appointed Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to dismantle parts of the federal bureaucracy, a move that has further alienated Democrats.
In recent years, Democrats have found themselves on the opposing side of shutdowns, as Republicans have used these moments as leverage to secure policy changes.
However, the tables may have turned this time. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has hinted that Democrats might use the shutdown debate to their advantage.
“I have made clear to House Republican leadership that any effort to steal taxpayer money from the American people, end Medicaid as we know it, or defund programs important to everyday Americans, as contemplated by the illegal White House Office of Management and Budget order, must be choked off in the upcoming government funding bill, if not sooner,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to his colleagues earlier this month.
The most recent major government shutdown took place in late 2018 and stretched into 2019, sparked by Trump’s demand for border wall funding. That shutdown lasted for 35 days.
Each fiscal year, which begins on October 1, Congress is required to fund the government or face a shutdown. GOP leaders have deferred the deadline from the fall to March 14 through stopgap measures.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has stated that Republicans are still considering how to prevent a shutdown.
“All options are on the table right now,” Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Just getting everyone to agree to what that final spending number is going to be has been the holdup. But we have time, it’s early February, and the deadline is March 14.”