It seems as though Congress is positively heading nowhere as shutdown negotiations drag on. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
So, they’ve turned to handicapping.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gamed out that the shutdown would run another week.
"It won't end until everybody in the Senate takes their ego out back and shoots it. And then it'll end," predicted Kennedy.
It always is, and always will be about the math.
Senate Republicans can conjure up the votes of 55 senators to break a filibuster on the House-passed bill to fund the government. But they need 60 yeas. And Republicans are determined to stick to their playbook.
"I can tell you there's more than five Democrats in the Senate who know that (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. has led them into a box canyon with this Schumer shutdown," said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Fox. "But the consequences will start to pile up."
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: SENATE REVOTES TODAY ON ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt wouldn’t directly answer a question about what would trigger federal firings. But Leavitt made clear that jobs hung in the balance.
"We don't want to see people laid off. But unfortunately, if this shutdown continues, layoffs are going to be an unfortunate consequence of that," said Leavitt.
Democrats excoriated the Trump Administration for hinting it would cut programs and jobs in agencies important to Democrats.
"Americans really hate bullies. And this kind of bullying from the White House is going to backlash because they understand that an authoritarian president uses grants to New York for infrastructure, laying off workers, deliberately inflicting pain," predicted Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "Don't inflict unnecessary pain and then boast about it."
Some Republicans practically reveled in the White House approach.
"All's fair in love and war. I think that there's a price to pay for the Democrats shutting this down," said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. "These will be part of the consequences."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., insists Democrats are "playing a losing game." (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
Tension is building as the shutdown barrels into its second week as lawmakers spin in circles.
"I realize that my Democrat colleagues are facing pressure from members of their far left base. But they're playing a losing game here," said Thune.
But each side is now engaged in a game of parliamentary chicken. Republicans won’t budge from their demand that Senate Democrats approve their funding plan. And Democrats won’t relent from their insistence that the sides shore up Obamacare subsidies.
"I'm not going to vote to reopen the government until I see a way that we can do that," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
Even some Republicans worry about Obamacare price spikes.
"There are some folks in what is the new part of the Republican Party, which is blue-collar workers," said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., on Fox Business. "We have to be careful how we do this. We just shouldn't cut it. We should make sure we use a scalpel and not a sledgehammer."
SHUTDOWN IGNITES STRATEGIST DEBATE: WILL TRUMP AND GOP PAY THE POLITICAL PRICE IN 2026?
But even if bipartisan senators were to forge a deal, the plan may slam into a brick wall in the House.
"Republicans have spent most of their careers being against Obamacare. Why would they expand it and add a subsidy on top of a subsidy?" asked House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla.
A debate is now raging over which side will cave. Or which party faces political consequences.
Naturally, Republicans believe Democrats will pay a price.
"Their radical base just wants to see them up here fighting Donald Trump, not over any particular issues," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.
But Democrats don’t see a political downside.
"Are you concerned in any way about the political ramifications that voters might blame your side down the road?" yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
"The American people are crystal clear on who shut down the government. Crystal clear," replied Jeffries.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended President Trump's making light of current circumstances as "entertainment." (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
So we don’t know if or when Vought will drop the anvil on federal workers. But one senator who caucuses with the Democrats and voted for the GOP plan, signaled his support could wane if Republicans overplay their hand.
"If they start firing thousands of people or clawing back other kinds of programs, I think, it could hurt their chances of getting this resolved," said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine.’
The Senate has now blocked the House-approved spending package on six separate occasions. The sides are having casual conversations. But nothing has happened.
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It’s as though Congress is on a merry-go-round to nowhere, just going around and around. Everyone’s getting dizzy. And just wants to dismount.
Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dizzying-ride-hill-lawmakers-debate-circles-shutdown-enters-week-2