Mistrust paralyzes Washington as shutdown drags on for 9th day

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Associated Press
Today 09:54

On the ninth day of the US government shutdown, mistrust between Republicans and Democrats has stalled negotiations, with Democrats demanding safeguards against presidential overreach.

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Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in a heated discussion to endorse House bill H.R.5145 that would extend the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 at the US Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

The ninth day of the US government shutdown has exposed the full extent of the mistrust dividing Republicans and Democrats, leaving lawmakers unable to reach a deal to reopen federal agencies or restore pay to hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers.

At the heart of the standoff is a growing concern that President Donald Trump is seeking to expand his power beyond the executive branch, while Republican allies in Congress remain reluctant to challenge him. Democrats, meanwhile, are insisting that any agreement must include concrete limits on the president’s authority to withhold or redirect congressionally approved funds.

"To have good-faith conversations, you have to have trust. There’s a real challenge of trust," said Rep. Brad Schneider, chair of the New Democratic Coalition, speaking to The Associated Press.

The breakdown in trust has left Washington paralyzed, even as groups of lawmakers meet privately and by phone to discuss ways out of the impasse. "We’re in an environment where we need more than a handshake," said Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who has been involved in cross-party discussions.

Power struggles

So far, neither side has budged. Trump and Republican leaders maintain that Democrats must first vote to reopen the government before negotiations on health care benefits can begin. Senate Majority Whip John Thune defended that stance, telling reporters, "There are some things that I think there is interest on both sides in trying to address when it comes to health care in this country. But you can’t take the federal government hostage and expect to have a reasonable conversation on those issues."

Democrats counter that verbal assurances from the White House no longer hold weight. "Donald Trump has no respect for law if he can push outside it, so I think we need some safeguards," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

The shutdown follows months of tension over the president’s use of "pocket rescissions", a maneuver that allows the White House to block spending already approved by Congress. The administration drew outrage earlier this year after canceling $4.9 billion in foreign aid without legislative approval, a move critics called unconstitutional.

"I hate rescissions, to be honest with you, unless they’re congressionally approved," said Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina.

Experts say the maneuver has aggravated partisan divides by upending the traditional budget process, which relies on cooperation between the branches of government. Matt Glassman, a fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, told the Associated Press that Trump’s use of rescissions is "blowing up the underlying dynamic of the bargaining" because it injects raw partisanship into a process that historically required compromise.

Search for a way out

The administration has also been accused of using the shutdown to consolidate further control. Budget Director Russ Vought has suggested that the White House may gain additional leverage over federal agencies and worker pay once the impasse ends. He has also acknowledged withholding funds for infrastructure projects in states represented by Democratic senators who supported the shutdown.

"I think with senators carrots work better than sticks," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota, referring to Vought’s approach.

Amid the stalemate, Democrats have floated a proposal that could draw bipartisan backing: extending subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans, alongside new legal safeguards limiting future rescissions. "When you end the shutdown and get back to regular order within the appropriations bills, there’s very clear language about how we feel about rescissions," said Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee. "I think you’ll find hard, solid support from Republicans to see that what we agree to will be executed on."

But without movement on reopening the government, negotiations remain at a standstill. As the shutdown drags on, pressure is building ahead of October 15, when active-duty military personnel are set to miss their first paycheck. Lawmakers fear both the economic fallout and the political backlash of allowing troops to go unpaid.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has argued that Republicans already passed a stopgap bill to fund essential services, saying it would "keep the government open to make sure TSA agents, Border Patrol agents, the troops and everybody else gets paid."

For now, however, Congress appears no closer to a resolution. As both sides dig in, the shutdown has become a test not just of policy priorities but of whether Washington’s deeply fractured political system can still function at all.

"I would not challenge Donald Trump’s resolve on this if I was anybody," warned Sen. Kevin Cramer.