Can a government shutdown be avoided with the current spending deal on offer? Can its proponents get it through a House vote?
NTD spoke to Bart Marcois, a former presidential campaign policy adviser, to find out more about the deal’s chances of success.
He says that Democrats have had the upper hand in negotiations thus far, and that more hardline Republicans are likely to balk at the deal—negating the GOP’s already razor-thin majority in the House.
“Two Republicans defecting on it could could kill the deal,” said Mr. Marcois. “I don’t see it holding together, to be honest with you. I think that the conservative Republicans are going to balk, they’re going to insist on a border deal. Somebody has to blink.”
He also said that interest payments on the national debt are also not being addressed. “Nobody’s talking about how much is being paid on interest on the debt, we’re paying $700 billion a year in interest on the debt,” he said.