Republicans argue to keep government open but won't talk with Democrats focused on health care costs.

By Nia-Malika Henderson / Bloomberg Opinion

It’s Bizarro World in Washington. Democrats are standing firm. And Republicans are arguing that they are the great defenders of the government they’ve spent months gutting. A shutdown looks increasingly likely and could be in effect by the time you read this.

Whether it lasts days or weeks, a shutdown is going to be a test of will and narrative for both sides. For Democrats, the question is how long minority leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer can remain united, with Jeffries playing the lead. For Republicans, at issue is whether they can convince Americans that they actually believe keeping the government funded and functioning is actually worthwhile; a decidedly un-Republican message, particularly in 2025, the year of DOGE.

Switching up their political message will be a hard sell, given how Republicans have railed for years against government programs. But they are trying.

“If they shut the government down, not only are troops unpaid, federal workers and all the services that everybody relies upon, but the WIC program, the nutrition program, Women, Infants [and] Children … that program will not be funded,” said Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after a meeting at the White House with President Trump. “FEMA won’t be funded. We have hurricanes off the coast of the United States right now. This is serious business. You have mental health services, all that funded by the government, would stop.”

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/republicans-argue-to-keep-government-open-but-wont-talk-with-democrats-focused-on-health-care-costs/