Trump still hasn't received funding for his fantasy border wall and neither Trump or Republicans in Congress have been willing to shut down the government over it.
Some Republicans now say they're prepared to shut it down when the continuing resolution that's currently funding about half the government expires on December 7th.
They don't know how they will force Senate Democrats to accept funding for a wall, but they say they're going to do something.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) both pledged this week to push for Trump’s wall money. Trump himself doubled down on the issue Thursday, saying in an interview on “Fox & Friends”: “Right after the election we’re doing something very strong on the wall.” [...]
That leaves a partial government shutdown as a real possibility, because no one on Capitol Hill or at the White House has come up with a viable strategy to increase border wall funding to the levels Trump wants.
Asked this week if there was a plan to get Trump his wall money, Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) replied: “Not that I know of. And I think I’d know.”
I've written this before, but I believe a government shutdown after the midterm election will be more likely than it has ever been before. That doesn't mean it will turn out well for Republicans, however, because Democrats will have even less incentive to play ball after the midterm election regardless of whether they win or lose.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has introduced a bill to fund Trump's wall, but that is a standalone bill not directly tied to funding the rest of the government.
House Republicans will still have the numbers to pass McCarthy's bill during the lame duck session, but linking that to a greater government funding bill could sink it in either or both chambers of Congress.
Mitch McConnell could finally decide to eliminate the legislative filibuster and fund Trump's wall, but I don't see that happening. I think if McConnell was willing to do that, he would have done it already. Congressional Republican leaders will have to start considering the real possibility that Trump will be gone in two years while they will be continuing the fight to save their majority if they still have it.