Prime Only Members-Only Article

That ‘No Negotiation’ Strategy

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 12: U.S. President Joe Biden (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
|
January 30, 2023 1:55 p.m.
THE BACKCHANNEL
FREE EDITION
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
NEW!
A FREE email newsletter from Josh Marshall An email newsletter from Josh Marshall

Let me start by saying that I think Democrats are doing just the right thing on their flat policy of non-negotiation on the debt-ceiling extension or increase. As several articles have reminded us today, Obama and Biden (and really all Democrats with their eyes open) learned this lesson in 2011–2013. But I think there’s a slight clarification or additional elaboration that could help Democrats anticipate one line of attack from congressional Republicans.

No one — not the White House or any Democrats on Capitol Hill — is saying they won’t negotiate the federal budget or how much the country should be spending on this or that priority or how much debt the country should take on. Kevin McCarthy is right when he says, albeit disingenuously, you can’t say you won’t negotiate. That’s what democratic governance is. That’s true. In the last Congress, Democrats’ had a tenuous but complete control of Congress as well as the White House. Now Republicans hold the House by an equally tenuous but real margin. By definition, that means fiscal policy will move in the Republican direction during the next two years. That’s the democratic process. The extent of the shift is what negotiation is about. Each side has its own set of tools at its disposal.

Real Independence
Made Possible By Members

FREE community-supported memberships are available to students and those experiencing financial hardship

Most Popular
Prime
$60/yr
$60/yr
30% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and Fewer Ads
Get Prime

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Prime
$5.99/mo
Access to Member-Exclusives and Fewer Ads
Get Prime

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Prime Ad Free
$120/yr
Access to Member-Exclusives and NO Ads
Get Prime AF

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Prime Ad Free
$11.99/mo
Access to Member-Exclusives and NO Ads
Get Prime AF

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Annual Plans
Monthly Plans

More Membership Options

Student (free with .edu email) CREATE STUDENT ACCOUNT Community-Supported (free all-access membership) APPLY NOW TPM Inside LEARN MORE
CONTACT FAQ
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: