I don’t see what is so hard for Congress with the same party having majorities in both houses to say Mr. Pres, if you don’t sign the bills you get no money. That is if the houses weren’t run by 4 democrats.
-or- why they’re afraid of the confrontation.
Yes, they will get beat up by the media for the shutdown, but if not that, the media will beat up on them for something else. You would think, for once and for all, they’d want to confront the media bully that’s always stealing their lunch money.
Besides, the election is 13 months away— in the interim other events will take center stage— no one’s going to vote based on a shutdown that occurred the year before.