As the government shutdown entered its fourth day, Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, warned on Newsmax on Saturday that halting federal funding shifts power from Congress to the White House, calling it an abdication of legislative responsibility.
Curtis said the standoff places too much authority in the hands of the executive branch and weakens Congress’ role in fiscal negotiations.
“In a shutdown, you hand the keys to the administration,” Curtis said on “America Right Now.”
“And those of us who are advocates for more control from the legislative branch know that a shutdown is to say, OK, we’re abdicating our responsibility. And here are the keys, Mr. President.”
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee member criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for what he described as a calculated political move, citing the backlash Schumer faced after casting a “yea” vote on the last Republican-backed continuing resolution.
“He got his socks blown off him because he voted for the CR,” Curtis said. “I think this current shutdown we’re in started last March. I think Mr. Schumer needs a shutdown to deal with his base. And that was predetermined last March.”
Curtis said Democrats are pushing “the silliest reasons for the shutdowns,” arguing that “they’re demanding that we shut the government down so that we can demand that we use the government more.”
The shutdown has already begun taking a toll.
Analysts estimate it could cost the economy up to $7 billion per week in lost revenue. While the White House met with budget officials Thursday to discuss potential spending cuts, Curtis questioned whether Democrats had considered the political costs.
“I’m surprised the Democrats didn’t factor this into their calculus,” he said, recalling past shutdowns under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. “This has always been used by the president as a political tool.”
Asked how long the standoff could continue, Curtis said there was no momentum for ending it soon.
“I’ve sadly been a part of a lot of these,” he said. “There is no momentum right now towards it ending, if that makes sense. So that changes quickly. You know, that could change quickly.”
“My guess is we’re well into next week before people start having serious conversations. Yeah, I hope we can resolve it quickly, but I think people ought to buckle up and expect this one to be a little bit longer.”
The Trump administration has signaled that thousands of government layoffs could begin soon.
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