Walled In

I think that for all the attention on Trump and the "Trump Shutdown" -- which is understandable, given that he very publicly took pride in claiming responsibility for it and has been the most vocal in its support -- it's important to recognize that this is really about the Republican members of the U.S. Senate.  Just like the problem with Trump is laid at the feet of Republican officials for enabling him, the Trump Shutdown is about the Republican Party.

The Republican-led Senate could end the shutdown today.  Trump doesn't even come into play.  There is a bill sitting in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office that has not only been passed by the House, it has previously been passed by the Senate -- word-for-word.  Unanimously.  The House passed the exact bill that the Senate passed without a single objection.  If McConnell brought that bill to the Senate floor, it would pass.  Perhaps unanimously again, though there might be a few holdouts.  Trump would veto it -- but that wouldn't matter, because there are likely more than enough Republicans to join Democrats in overriding the veto.  The Trump Shutdown would be over.  

And Trump would have zero involvement.

Trump has nothing to do with the ultimate responsibility for this shutdown continuing.  This is about the Republican Party.  Totally.

Yes, they want to support (and enable) Trump as their party leader.  But as for the U.S. Constitution, that is not their sworn duty.  Their sworn duty as Senators is to act as Senators.  And it is their hands to end the shutdown.  It is completely in their hands.  Trump has no part in that.  It can't be said more pointedly or enough.

This is about the Republican Party.  They could end the shutdown today.  Democrats want to vote for the bill that has already passed the Senate unanimously.  And past the Democratic-led House.  Republicans -- their leader Mitch McConnell in particular -- is blocking this from happening.  Not Trump.  The Republicans.

This is about the Republican Party.

And the shutdown goes on. 800,000 people out of work. More people being affected by the lack of business that's reliant on people out of work.  Thousands of people ordered to work without pay.  

And the Republican Party lets it all continue.  They could pass their own bill, open the government, get people back to work and being paid...and STILL have the very same debate and negotiations about the wall.  They won't get the wall -- Republicans didn't want to fund the wall even when there wasn't a shutdown -- but they could have the negotiations.  And in the meantime, great masses of people wouldn't have their lives devastated.

This is about the Republican Party.