Senator Ted Cruz predicted that Democrats are deliberately prolonging the government shutdown to energize far-left voters before the November 4 Election Day. The Texas Republican said Tuesday that Democrats “will say later today, ‘keep the government shut,’” arguing the party wants to “turn out their radicals” rather than resolve the standoff. The government shutdown, now in its 35th day, has disrupted air travel and left millions of Americans with reduced food assistance benefits.
During an interview on Fox & Friends, Cruz accused Senate Democrats of prioritizing politics over public service. “They want to demonstrate to their radical left-wing base that they hate Donald Trump as much as the radicals do,” Cruz said. He argued that the Democratic strategy centers on fueling anti-Trump sentiment and protecting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer from potential primary challenges from progressive leaders such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The standoff stems from Democratic opposition to Republican spending proposals that exclude extensions of federal healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, set to expire in 2025. Democrats have blocked more than a dozen GOP attempts to reopen the government, demanding the subsidy extensions be included in any deal.
Cruz said he expects the shutdown to end shortly after the election, predicting Democrats will relent once the political benefits expire. “My hope is they lose those elections anyway, and then they come back Wednesday or Thursday or Friday and say, ‘all right, enough is enough, let’s reopen the government,’” he said. The senator added that Republicans plan to vote again to reopen federal agencies, though he anticipates Democrats will block the measure for a 14th time.
