{"id":2585388,"date":"2026-03-30T15:49:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T19:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T15:50:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T19:50:57","slug":"republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans Would Rather Cede Power To Dems Than GOP Voters"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585388&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Shawn Fleetwood argues that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >teh current behaviour<\/a> of Senate Republicans exemplifies a broader pattern of avoiding a real fight for voters, effectively preserving the DC status quo. The piece notes that the SAVE America Act remains stalled, DHS funding is still incomplete, and ICE and Border patrol lack funding, with Democrats planning too use reconciliation to cover those agencies while the GOP says funding will come later. house republicans, by contrast, passed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-passes-stop-gap-bill-funding-government-through-february\/\" title=\"House Passes Stop...Gap Bill ... Government Through February\">short-term continuing resolution<\/a> that funds DHS including ICE\/CBP. Yet Senate Majority Leader John Thune sent everyone home for a two-week recess instead of forcing votes or advancing stronger measures, including the SAVE Act. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-guardian-joe-biden-is-one-of-americas-most-unpopular-presidents\/\" title=\"The Guardian: Joe Biden Is One of America\u2019s \u2018Most Unpopular Presidents\u2019\">article contends<\/a> this reflects a purposeful strategy by some GOP leaders to avoid electoral consequences by not challenging the status quo or appealing to their voters. It frames the 2026 midterms as a choice for conservatives: either stay home and let Democrats prevail, or vote for the same Republicans who won\u2019t stand up for their constituents. Primaries are presented as a path for conservatives to nominate candidates who will actually represent their interests, with a call to hold GOP leadership accountable and push for real reforms.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=m3HnOTRLFf0\">JohnThune\/YouTube<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/30\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Republicans%20Would%20Rather%20Cede%20Power%20To%20Democrats%20Than%20Their%20Own%20Voters&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/30\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Republicans%20Would%20Rather%20Cede%20Power%20To%20Democrats%20Than%20Their%20Own%20Voters&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/30\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/30\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Republicans%20Would%20Rather%20Cede%20Power%20To%20Democrats%20Than%20Their%20Own%20Voters&amp;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/30\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Just when you think the Senate GOP couldn&rsquo;t get any more useless than it already is, its members find a way to prove you wrong.<\/p>\n<p>While the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/save-america-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAVE America Act<\/a> continues to languish, the Department of Homeland Security (including ICE and Border Patrol) remains unfunded, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/legislative\/nom_cal_civ.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dozens<\/a> of Trump nominees await confirmation, Senate Majority Leader John Thune did what any typical Republican would do. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/house-gop-rams-through-new-dhs-funding-plan-shutdowns-end-remains-air\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sent<\/a> the upper chamber home on a two-week vacation. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-648706228\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The entirely predictable scenario came about after Senate Republicans agreed with Democrats to <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5803727-tsa-dhs-funding-ice-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pass<\/a> a DHS package devoid of ICE and Border Patrol funding in the early hours of Friday morning. The GOP maintained that the latter two agencies would be funded via reconciliation to overcome Democrats&rsquo; procedural blockade. <\/p>\n<p>To their credit, House Republicans rejected that swampy proposal. The lower chamber instead <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/house-gop-rams-through-new-dhs-funding-plan-shutdowns-end-remains-air\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">passed<\/a> a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that temporarily funds DHS &mdash; including ICE and CBP. <\/p>\n<p>But rather than force senators to stay in session to consider that measure, other proposals, or debate the SAVE America Act (that is, actually put up a fight), Thune <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/senators-defend-two-week-recess-record-breaking-government-shutdown-drags\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sent<\/a> everybody <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/30\/the-only-midterms-strategy-lamer-than-no-kings-is-gop-plan-to-do-literally-nothing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">home<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although &ldquo;home&rdquo; may not be the best descriptor for some senators. The unmarried and childless Lindsey Graham took a break from giving his <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/11\/the-best-thing-trump-can-do-for-the-iran-war-effort-is-shutting-up-lindsey-graham\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asinine Iran takes<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/03\/30\/lindsey-graham-at-disneyworld-amidst-government-shutdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">parade around<\/a> Walt Disney World over the weekend. And he even got a bubble wand to prove it!<\/p>\n<p>Demoralizing their base and independent voters may seem like a baffling decision considering that the 2026 midterms are mere months away. That is, until you realize that for some Republicans that&rsquo;s the entire point.<\/p>\n<p>As I previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/13\/passing-save-act-would-signal-congress-actually-answers-to-voters-which-is-why-congress-hates-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a> in these pages, GOP leadership&rsquo;s refusal to abide by their voters&rsquo; wishes and actually fight for their interests (like the SAVE Act) stems from their desire to maintain the D.C. status quo. If Republican voters begin to see themselves as citizens who hold the power to influence their elected officials and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elise-stefanik-harvard-president-claudine-gays-resignation-was-long-overdue\/\" title=\"Elise Stefanik: Harvard President Claudine Gay&#039;s Resignation &#039;Long Overdue\">enact real change<\/a>, the do-nothing system the establishment has spent years building will come crashing down. <\/p>\n<p>For too many within the GOP caucus, that is unacceptable. So unacceptable that many within the GOP conference would be fine ceding power to Democrats for an election cycle than to voters within their own party for generations. <\/p>\n<p>This presents a difficult situation for Republican voters. <\/p>\n<p>They can either sit out the midterms, thereby handing power to Democrats, who will unquestionably use their majorities to punish the American people for their decisions in the 2024 election. Or they can pinch their noses and vote for the same gutless Republicans who refuse to use the power they currently have. <\/p>\n<p>Neither option is particularly tasteful. But the good news is it doesn&rsquo;t have to be this way. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/elections-and-campaigns\/2026-state-primary-election-dates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Primaries<\/a> are underway in states across the country for federal, state, and local races. These contests give conservatives an <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/03\/primary-season-gives-conservatives-the-chance-to-kick-feckless-rinos-to-the-curb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opportunity<\/a> to nominate candidates who will actually represent their interests and implement a vision worth voting for. <\/p>\n<p>The Republican Party&rsquo;s elected officials are often a reflection of the people who vote for them. If conservatives want better political representation, then it&rsquo;s going to be incumbent upon them (and figures like <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/05\/22\/trump-cant-drain-the-swamp-if-he-keeps-endorsing-its-worst-offenders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">President Trump<\/a>) to make it happen. <\/p>\n<p>Such a task won&rsquo;t be easy. But allowing the status quo to remain is simply unsustainable. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/2026-midterms\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">2026 midterms<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/congress\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/gop-establishment\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">GOP establishment<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/government-funding\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">government funding<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Republicans<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/rinos\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">RINOs<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/save-america-act\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">SAVE America Act<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/senate-gop\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Senate GOP<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate GOP sends members home as DHS funding stalls<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2585389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/John-Thune-1.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[3685,6571,5894,3756,4223],"class_list":["post-2585388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-democrats","tag-elections","tag-politics","tag-republicans","tag-voters"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/John-Thune-1.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585388"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585392,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585388\/revisions\/2585392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}