High White Home financial advisor Kevin Hassett on Monday predicted the federal government shutdown is “more likely to finish someday this week.”
But when that doesn’t occur, the Trump administration could impose “stronger measures” to drive Democrats to cooperate, Hassett, director of the Nationwide Financial Council, stated on CNBC’s “Squawk Field.”
The feedback got here deep into the third week of the shutdown, which is dragging on with no clear finish in sight amid a partisan struggle within the Senate over federal funding priorities.
Republicans wish to move a short-term decision to renew funding at present ranges. Democrats demand that any stopgap invoice embrace extra spending on health-care protections, together with an extension of enhanced Reasonably priced Care Act tax credit which are because of expire at yr’s finish.
Hassett stated on CNBC that he has heard from the Senate that Democrats thought it could be “dangerous optics” to vote to reopen the federal government earlier than this weekend’s huge nationwide “No Kings” protests in opposition to President Donald Trump.
“Now there is a shot that this week, issues will come collectively, and really rapidly,” Hassett stated. “The average Democrats will transfer ahead and get us an open authorities, at which level we might negotiate no matter insurance policies they wish to negotiate with common order.”
“I believe the Schumer shutdown is more likely to finish someday this week,” he stated, referring to Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., whom Republicans blame for the funding lapse.
But when it would not, “I believe that the White Home goes to need to look very intently, together with [White House budget chief Russell] Vought, at stronger measures that we might take to deliver them to the desk,” he stated.
Schumer and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s requests for touch upon Hassett’s remarks.
Hassett’s remarks recommend that Democrats are on the lookout for a politically opportune second to fold within the shutdown struggle. However with quite a few polls displaying extra voters blame Trump and Republicans for the deadlock — and indicating robust help for extending the ACA medical insurance subsidies — Democrats largely have not budged.
“On daily basis will get higher for us,” Schumer advised Punchbowl Information earlier this month, “as a result of we have considered this lengthy prematurely and we knew that well being care can be the focus on Sept. 30 and we ready for it.”
Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., stated final week that he has supplied Democratic leaders a vote on extending the Obamacare tax credit in alternate for opening the federal government.
However prime Democrats seem like rejecting Thune’s entreaty. As an alternative, some Democrats are calling on Trump to take part in negotiations himself.
Hassett stated Monday that Trump “has been very lively all through this course of, however it’s additionally his place that it is a factor that the Senate must work out.”
