A majority of Americans, including nearly half of Democrats, are opposed to a government shutdown, according to a new poll.
The New York Times/Siena survey, released Tuesday, found 65% of registered voters agreed with the statement, “Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.”
Among registered Democrats, 43% were against shutting down the government even if the party is unable to win any concessions from Republicans, who support a stopgap measure that would extend government funding at current levels through Nov. 21.
An additional 59% of independent voters also opposed a shutdown under any circumstances, as well as 92% of Republicans.
When the statement was flipped – “The Democrats should shut down the government if their demands are not met” – only 27% of registered voters agreed.
Forty-seven percent of Democrats were in favor of a shutdown, absent concessions, as were 32% of independents and 5% of Republicans.
Ten percent of Democrats were unsure or refused to answer, a higher percentage than Republicans and independents.
Congress faces a midnight deadline to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown.
The House of Representatives approved a short-term funding bill earlier this month, but Senate Democrats are largely opposed to it.
Democratic lawmakers, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), have been attempting to negotiate with Republicans, including President Trump, for an extension of pandemic-era enhanced subsidies for healthcare insurance in exchange for supporting a stopgap funding bill.
Congressional Democrats have also sought to revive funding for foreign aid as well as radio and TV programs that were federally subsidized until this year.
The negotiations haven’t been successful. Vice President JD Vance said the country was “headed to a shutdown” Monday after a meeting with Schumer and Jeffries.
If no bill is passed before the midnight deadline, all nonessential government operations will cease for the first time since the 35-day shutdown in late December 2018 and early January 2019.
