What the columnists said

The growing impact of the shutdown

The wall-or-nothing camp has “brushed aside” the plight of federal workers “with astounding callousness,” said Catherine Rampell in WashingtonPost.com. Republicans love to champion “the dignity of work,” yet they appear unmoved by reports of unpaid government employees, many of whom make less than $50,000 a year, “selling their children’s toys on Craigslist, rationing their insulin,” and delaying surgeries.

It takes two to stalemate, said William McGurn in The Wall Street Journal. “Between half and two-thirds of Americans” blame Trump for the shutdown, but those same polls show “a third to a quarter” blaming Pelosi. Don’t expect “an epic capitulation” from either side—it would be “too humiliating”—but it’s equally misguided to think it’s “only a matter of time” before the GOP coalition “cracks.” Trump and the Democrats are both on the hook.

Here’s what could make Trump blink, said Noah Smith in Bloomberg.com. The workers affected by the shutdown “constitute about 3 percent of the country’s labor force.” Recessions usually bring about a 2 to 4 percent increase in unemployment. Being furloughed isn’t the same as being unemployed, but the “macroeconomic spillovers” might be comparable. Worse, the shutdown could soon provoke companies to cut investment, “which could quickly ripple through the supply chain.” Is the wall really worth a recession?