Americans are sick of dysfunction

Whenever Dad saw someone struggling to get something done, he’d say, “That guys working with a short-handled shovel.”

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy’s shovel handle is short, and he let a tiny group of his own party saw it off so he could become speaker.

Now, America is facing a government shutdown because McCarthy doesn’t have enough votes in his own party to keep it open, and his party will toss him out if he compromises to win Democratic votes.

As McCarthy says, “The hard-right Republicans want to burn the whole place down.”

The problem is the GOP hard-liners aren’t the people who’ll get burned. It’s America that will feel the heat.

In 2018, the last shutdown cost the U.S. economy $3 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Border Patrol and the military won’t be paid. National parks will close.

Cheering the hard-liners on is Donald Trump, posting on his social media platform, “Republicans can and must defund all aspect of crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized government. It’s the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other patriots.”

I learned early on as a negotiator; you can’t demonize the other side and then try to deal with the devil. Your own side will balk at any agreement because it’s impossible to spin a win compromising with evil.

But in June, Congress managed to find the middle enough to suspend the debt ceiling for two years by passing the Fiscal Responsibility Act. But now, there are 12 appropriations bills for 2024 hard-liners are holding hostage because they believe the deal struck in June wasn’t enough.

The House of Representatives can solve this problem by adopting a Continuing Resolution. That avoids a shutdown and gives people time to consider the consequences and work toward a solution. I know that sounds like postponing the inevitable, but in negotiations time to think often equals compromise.

But that compromise won’t be with the Congressional arsonists.

So, how can McCarthy survive as Speaker and still avoid a shutdown?

To lengthen that shovel handle, he’ll have to rely on Democrats for two things. First, he’ll have to find Democrats willing to vote for the Continuing Resolution. Second, when one of the hard-liners inevitably moves to oust him, he’ll need Democratic votes to stay.

There are three reasons Democrats should help him. First, some may believe he is the best alternative because no one knows who’s waiting in the wings. Second, Democrats know the economy will suffer because of a long shut down. Third, Democrats should be able to negotiate away some of the vindictive investigations stalling real problem solving. This could also marginalize those intent on burning down the government.

The American public is sick of dysfunction. That’s why there’s dissatisfaction in every poll taken. Solving this problem would show that at least one political party can functionally govern.

Bruce Lear of Sioux City taught for 11 years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association Regional Director for 27 years until retiring. BruceLear2419@gmail.com