Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, is reportedly urging President Trump to back down on his border wall demand and open the government.
Cracks in the coalition
Sen. Murkowski is one of the first Senate Republicans to indicate that she doesn’t agree with Trump’s gambit and, despite a heart-stirring speech before the nation last night, she thinks the President should back down.
So far, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is refusing to entertain Democrat-passed spending bills from the House that open the government but offer zero dollars for the construction of a physical barrier along the southern border. “The Senate will not waste its time considering a Democratic bill which cannot pass this chamber and which the president will not sign,” McConnell said recently on the Senate floor.
Murkowski to urge Trump to surrender
Murkowski’s breaking of rank shows that Senate Republicans, despite the leadership of McConnell, is not solidly on the side of the President. She will reportedly speak to the President later today and urge him to end the shutdown and push the border-wall fight to another day.
Sen. Murkowski says she’s going to share her concerns about government funding impasse with Trump today. She wants party to reopen government and deal with border fight after
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 9, 2019
This is, of course, a losing tactic. Trump has no leverage on Democrats other than the shutdown. Democrats have no incentive to give him anything for a border wall. Hanging up the towel now means losing for good.
The shutdown fight is about to get tougher
Murkowski’s folding is a sign that things are about to get a lot tougher for President Trump. This Friday is the first payday government workers won’t get their checks should the shutdown continue.
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There’s going to be a lot of outrage over the lack of payment. Trump will be feeling the pressure to compromise more than ever. And without a unified Republican Party behind him, the chances of him folding only increase.
