The Winston Group’s David Winston writes in today’s Roll Call about the possibility of another government shutdown.
Democrats didn’t come out favorably after the last shutdown, which centered on the specific issue of extending the temporary enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which was itself viewed somewhat positively by the public. Democrats were also helped by the lack of a Republican health care alternative, a constant dynamic in the health care policy debate.
But Democrats hit a wall with their decision to prevent a vote to keep the government from shutting down with an unpopular filibuster. The issue for voters then became the impact of a federal shutdown rather than extension of the temporary enhanced ACA tax credits.
This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Democrats. The electorate usually has a very negative reaction to government shutdowns and wants a quick end to what they see as a failure to govern. When Democrats shut down the government last fall, the Nov. 15-17 Winning the Issues survey found 51 percent of the electorate approved of passing legislation to open the government, while 24 percent opposed it. Only 17 percent thought the shutdown was worth it, while 67 percent said it was not worth it, with 71 percent of people saying it had a serious impact on the U.S. economy.
Read the full piece here.
