The government could shut down on Wednesday if Congress doesn’t come to an agreement on future spending.

Romina Boccia, Cato’s director of budget and entitlement policy, issued a statement on the looming shutdown:

“Shutdowns rarely deliver what their instigators demand. They hand the President and OMB extra discretion—hardly a smart move for Democrats. More often, shutdowns backfire politically without lasting policy change.

Democrats’ current demands to reverse modest Medicaid savings and lock in Obamacare Covid credits have nothing to do with funding the government. They are opportunistic add-ons to signal political toughness. On the other side of this fight, Democrats may find their Emperor has no clothes.

The real driver of U.S. debt isn’t discretionary spending but the unsustainable growth of Social Security and health care spending. Shutdown fights and continuing resolutions (CRs) only distract from the worsening debt crisis.

A CR copy-pastes the bloated Biden-era budget rather than reflecting deliberate priorities of the current governing party. Hardly a win for Republicans, it’s a gimme to Democrats.”

If you’d like to speak with Boccia, please reach out to Madison: mmiller@​cato.​org.