The US government shutdown has become a tool for President Donald Trump to exert more control over the government. The phenomenon began with an attempt to enforce federal law in 1980, but now it’s being used as a means to punish Democrats and advance his priorities.
In the past, shutdowns were seen as a way to restore public trust in Washington by strictly interpreting federal law. However, under Trump, the funding lapse has become a political gambit, with the administration trying to reconfigure the budget for its own purposes.
The Trump administration’s strategy is different from previous shutdowns, where presidential administrations applied the rules equally to affected agencies. Instead, the current administration has introduced a distinctly political edge, updating agency websites to blame Democrats and initiating layoffs for federal employees perceived to be working on Democratic priorities.
Democrats are digging in their heels, voting against Republican-backed bills to reopen the government. They argue that voters will ultimately hold Republicans accountable for the pain of the shutdown, but also see it as an opportunity to halt Trump’s expansion of presidential power.
As the shutdown enters its second month, federal employees, including lawmakers’ staff, have gone without full paychecks for almost a month. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program faces a potential funding cliff on November 1, and air travel delays threaten to worsen amid air traffic controller shortages.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-congress-presidential-power-157d0d2d6d00d273dca722232ff252ad