Vote on shutdown-ending bill soon in the House... US Democrats face leadership vacuum crisis [Sang-eun Lee's Washington Now]

A stopgap funding bill to end the longest federal government shutdown in history will be put to a vote in the U.S. House starting today at 7 p.m. (Korean time 9 a.m. on the 13th). If passed, federal government funding will be secured until January 30 next year with President Donald Trump's signature and government operations will resume.

The White House has also stepped up last-minute pressure. On the 12th (local time), White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing, "President Trump looks forward to finally ending this destructive Democratic shutdown with his signature," and added, "We hope the signing will take place late tonight."

Leavitt blamed the Democrats for causing Americans 43 days of continuous pain, calling it "purely partisan politics." She claimed the Democrats dragged the shutdown out for weeks to boost turnout in the local elections held on the 4th, saying they were "held hostage by radical left supporters."

She also attacked support for Obamacare by framing it as a program that supports illegal immigrants. The Democrats had demanded an extension of the Obamacare tax credits that expire at the end of this year as a condition for ending the shutdown, but ultimately did not secure an extension and agreed to discuss the extension in December in exchange for ending the shutdown.

Leavitt called this "an absurd demand to provide taxpayer-funded medical benefits to illegal immigrants who have entered our country." She added that "they took the country hostage to negotiate over the healthcare system they created."

She furthermore criticized Obamacare as a "broken system" that "has dramatically increased national healthcare costs." "Once the government is back up and running, President Trump is fully open to conversations about healthcare policy, but he cannot leave fixing the broken system to those who created it," she said.

As the shutdown's end approaches, conflicts within the Democratic Party have also exploded. With next year's midterm elections approaching, the party should be united, but there is widespread perception that defectors played a shutdown card.

Criticism of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has been particularly intense. House progressive Democrats such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have publicly expressed distrust of Leader Schumer, arguing that he should step down. In fact, Schumer did not support ending the shutdown, but following accusations of responsibility for the last election loss, party sentiment that another major defeat in next year's midterms is possible has led to calls holding Schumer accountable for leadership.

With Nancy Pelosi, one of the party's long-time leaders, having announced her retirement, if Leader Schumer also relinquishes leadership, the Democratic Party would enter a completely fractured era. There is a strong sense of crisis about not wanting to lose ground in next year's midterms, so it will be worth watching whether this shutdown becomes an opportunity to produce new leadership within the Democratic Party.

Washington = Sang-eun Lee, correspondent selee@hankyung.com