Last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Democrats would be seeking a restoration in funding to Medicare and to extend Obamacare subsidies in the upcoming government funding bill. If Republicans refuse to come to the table, Senator Schumer says Democrats will withhold their votes, forcing a government shutdown at the end of the month.

Days before Schumer’s announcement, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event in Utah. In the aftermath, President Donald Trump and his allies laid blame at the feet of Democrats and the left. In a speech from the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump vowed that his administration would “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.” Some are arguing that in the midst of this heightened rhetoric, picking a fight over the budget could give Trump license to further his authoritarian aims. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland thinks it’s worth the risk.

In an interview with Today, Explained, Van Hollen said “there are always risks, but again, it’s Republicans and the Trump White House that will be taking this risk, because they will clearly be seen to be going it alone, trying to essentially impose total one-party rule on the country.” Senator Van Hollen believes that the Republicans have more to lose by withholding concessions than the Democrats do by holding the line.

Below is an excerpt of Senator Van Hollen’s conversation with Today, Explained host Noel King, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and

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