Nancy Cordes: We’ll Never Know If Democrats Were Right Because Colleagues Weren’t Willing To Find Out If The Pain Was Worth It
On “Washington Week,” CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes discussed the frustration in the Democratic Party over ending the shutdown. “They were getting closer to putting Republicans in a very uncomfortable situation, and that finally Republicans would have to come to the table,” Cordes said of Democrats. “Now, we’ll never know if they were right or not because these eight Senate Democrats said that they weren’t willing to find out that they felt that the pain was not worth, you know, the possibility of the outcome that they were seeking. And so they went ahead and negotiated.”
VIVIAN SALAMA, ‘WASHINGTON WEEK’ GUEST HOST, THE ATLANIC: This is certainly something that we’re going to continue to watch in the days to come, but I do want to turn to the government shutdown that is no longer, after 43 days, the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history is over and President Trump signed in a bill into law this week to get the government reopened. It passed because of eight senators, seven Democrats, and an independent, as well as six in the House who broke with their party. Nancy, many Republicans are now accusing the eight senators in particular who voted with Republicans of betraying the party at the expense of healthcare and other important issues. Explain that, how that dynamic is playing out. NANCY CORDES, CBS NEWS: You know, there is a lot of frustration in the party right now, and it has spilled out into public view. There are Senate Democrats who feel that, you know, the whole point of this risky enterprise in the first place triggering a shutdown was because, eventually, over time, they felt that they would gain enough leverage over Republicans to force them to negotiate and compromise over Obamacare premium subsidies that are about to expire. And, yes, the pain was mounting. Yes, flight delays were mounting. Yes, SNAP beneficiaries were starting to lose very crucial food assistance, but they felt that, you know, they were getting closer to putting Republicans in a very uncomfortable situation, and that finally Republicans would have to come to the table. Now, we’ll never know if they were right or not because these eight Senate Democrats said that they weren’t willing to find out that they felt that the pain was not worth, you know, the possibility of the outcome that they were seeking. And so they went ahead and negotiated. They did succeed in putting the issue front and center for the American people. And polls show that, in the end, everybody kind of gets the blame for a shutdown typically, but other than that, you know, it’s not very clear what they gained from allowing the government to stay closed for 40 days or so.
