Fox News Analyst Points to GOP’s ‘Clean Bill’ as Democrats Push for Added Healthcare Concessions
With a midnight deadline on September 30 looming, the federal government stands on the brink of a shutdown, and the political blame game is already in full swing. However, Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume suggested on Monday that this shutdown could buck historical trends, with Democrats potentially shouldering more of the blame than Republicans.
Appearing on “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Hume acknowledged that past shutdowns typically drew public ire toward Republicans, but he argued the current dynamic is fundamentally different.
“The history of this stuff is that when the government shuts down, it’s unpopular, and people blame the Republicans. I’m not sure that’s going to happen in this case,” Hume told host Bret Baier.
Hume’s analysis centered on the nature of the proposals put forward by House Republicans. He characterized the GOP’s measure as the “proverbial clean bill,” a “short-term measure, changes nothing, continues present levels of spending across the board and gets to the next juncture.”
In contrast, Hume pointed to the Democratic approach as the potential sticking point: “Democrats want to add things to it, and that’s usually what causes trouble and ends up being not acceptable to the public,” he said.
Indeed, Democratic lawmakers returned to Washington Monday pledging to prevent a shutdown, even as they voted down a GOP-backed Senate bill that would have temporarily funded the government. President Donald Trump met with congressional leaders in a last-ditch attempt to avert the crisis, but the talks concluded without an agreement.
The core dispute revolves around healthcare spending. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries led Democrats in demanding an estimated $1.5 trillion boost in Obamacare subsidies and Medicaid funding in exchange for their support on a funding deal. Republicans have firmly rejected this proposal, pushing instead for a clean, short-term funding extension.
As the deadline fast approaches, Hume’s commentary highlights a shift in the political narrative, suggesting that the public may view the Democrats’ demands for substantial healthcare concessions as the obstacle to keeping the government open.
As Hume noted, however, “the government doesn’t fully shut down. Essential functions, as they’re called, remain in action.”
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