Washington, D.C. Is bracing for a government shutdown. Federal funding runs out on Tuesday and instead of furiously hammering out negotiations, President Trump abruptly canceled them, leaving Democrats and Republicans to blame each other for the impasse.

Instead of working with Republicans to fund the government through a clean, nonpartisan, continuing resolution, Democrats are yielding to the desires of their rabidly leftist base.

Democrats do not support the partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the healthcare of the American people.

Joining me today is Congresswoman Susan DelBene of Washington State. She's head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, known here as the DCCC, working to elect Democrats to the House in next year's midterms. She'll break down her party's decision to fight the Trump agenda and her plan to retake the majority. I'm David Chalian, CNN's political director and Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief and this is the CNN Political Briefing. Congresswoman DelBene, thank you so much for being here.

Absolutely, thanks for having me.

'You and I are talking on Thursday afternoon as we record this and we are ticking down here to when the government runs out of money at the end of September 30th. And I am just wondering from your perspective inside the House of Representatives, do you see an off-ramp at this moment in time to this conflict that the government may actually stay open and be funded?

Republicans aren't even interested in coming to the table. Donald Trump said that he would meet with the Democratic leader in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader in the Senate, Senator Schumer. And then he canceled that and said, there's no need to talk. Republicans are not even calling members of Congress back to Washington, D.C. to focus on making sure there's a path forward. We're coming back to D. C. Because we know it's important to continue to fight for the American people. But Republicans seem like they're happy to lead us into a shutdown right now.

It also seems that both the Democrats and the Republicans are trying to sort of lay the groundwork here for which party will get the bulk of the political blame if indeed the government does shut down. I hear from you and all of your colleagues this constant refrain that Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. But isn't it true that Republicans alone cannot keep the government open given that they need 60 votes in the Senate? So to keep the Government open, Democrats do have to participate. And isn't there some risk for your party if you say no to that participation and people are financially hurt by it?

Well, absolutely it's always been true that a bipartisan solution is what moves us forward. Republicans are in charge of everything and they know that and yet they are unwilling to even sit at a table and talk about what we're hearing from the American people. The American people are struggling because costs are going up because of Republican policies. Healthcare costs skyrocketing because of a Republican policies. These are the issues that we're hearing on the ground across the country. And so our job as representatives is to stand up for our communities and talk about what we can do to make sure we have a strong path going forward into next year. Republicans don't even want to have that conversation. And it turns out that the fiscal year always ends on September 30th. This is work that should have been happening months ago, these conversations. Republicans ignored that, walked to the end and now they're not even interested in being in Washington D.C. to have a conversation about what we can do to make sure we have that bipartisan support. There is nothing new, they're uninterested. It's do whatever we say or we're not goint to talk. And unfortunately, whatever they say is lead us into a shutdown and continue creating more damage for working families.

You are certainly right that the September 30th deadline, the end of the fiscal year is not a surprise date to anyone. I guess my question is given what you've just said about healthcare and fighting to protect your communities, how does a government shutdown help bring down healthcare costs for your constituents and for Americans across the country?

Let's be clear, the reason that healthcare costs are going up is because of Republican policies. Kind of rubber stamping those policies doesn't lower costs for American families. What lowers...

But how does a shutdown actually improve their...

We should be working on a deal. That's why we're going back to DC to try to work on a deal. We've always been trying to get to the table to make sure we have policies that support our families across the country. Republicans aren't interested in coming to the the table. To them, it's blind loyalty to Donald Trump, whatever he says goes. If Republicans talked to people in their communities, they would hear from folks that they are scared about healthcare costs going up, that they are scared about food and housing, that Republicans promise to lower costs and they've broken that promise over and over again, but talk to people on the ground. That's what we've been doing and people across the country want to make sure that we are protecting healthcare. Republicans are ripping it apart.

Are you hearing from any of your frontline members, the most vulnerable Democrats, Democrats that either are in districts that Donald Trump won in 2024 or just very close, evenly divided districts, concern that there may be some political blowback if indeed the government does shut down? That despite your messaging efforts here and elsewhere, that voters may take some issue and are you hearing from any your colleagues on the Democratic side any concern about heading towards a potential shutdown?

'In battleground districts across the country, recent data showed that 72% of voters support making sure the premium tax credits that help keep costs low for folks who buy their health insurance on the exchange, 72% percent of voters want to see those continued. I think what you see from our members, even our members in battleground district is they are listening to their communities. And that's why they were elected. We even have 14 Democrats who were elected in districts that Donald Trump also won in because they are strong, independent-minded voices for their community. They're listening to their communities and their communities are saying, they're trying to rip away healthcare, do something about that. That's just one example. Costs are going up, do something that. That's what we're trying do, but Republicans refuse to engage. And again, Republicans in Congress seem incapable of doing anything to have a voice and to stand up for their communities. It's blind loyalty to Donald Trump.

We're going to take a quick break. We're going to have a lot more with the DCCC Chairwoman, Susan DelBene from Washington State in just a moment.

'Congresswoman, you are charged with winning back the majority for Democrats in 2026, and history would suggest that that is a pretty good assignment for someone in your shoes when Republicans control the White House, the House, the Senate, history suggests in those midterms, the out party tends to make significant gains. The margins in the House obviously are so very narrow. And yet, what we're seeing is Democrats significantly over-performing in all these special elections, another indicator that 2026 could be a good year for Democrats, but we're also seeing the Democratic brand at all time lows in terms of favorability, real concerns among Democrats themselves about Democratic party leadership, some real sort of generational divides that we are seeing inside your party. And I'm just wondering, how do you balance those two things that history and the electoral evidence so far this year should suggest good news for you guys, but that there still seems to be concern among voters about Democrats being a party capable of leading.

'First of all, I think Republicans do have a microscopic majority, and that's because we actually picked up seats last cycle. People are, families are upset. People are upset, they are angry about what's happening. The focus of Republicans on the wealthy and the well-connected, when their number one issue, and why folks voted for Republicans and voted for Donald Trump last time, the number one issue was they thought he promised to lower costs on day one. That is a big, big broken promise. Costs are rising. Between the big ugly bill, tariffs, ripping away healthcare, nothing to help families, only to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest and the well-connected. So that's why when you look at the generic ballot out there right now, when you talk to folks across the country, why in the special elections we've seen since November of 2024, Democrats are running 15 points ahead. People want those strong representatives who are going to stand up for them. And we're going to fight for that in these districts across the country. And remember in the House, these are very local elections. These are individual districts across the country, we have great candidates, we win.

It's interesting for me to hear you say that they are local elections. Usually it is sort of the president's party that stresses that, that the president is not a sort of overhang for his party on an election. Does that mean when I hear you say they're local elections, you don't intend to sort of nationalize and utilize Donald Trump's unpopularity as a major campaign theme throughout this next year?

Well, remember we're fighting these and these purple districts across the country. We have 35 districts across the country where we are on offense. Those 35 districts across the countries, they're in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kentucky, Tennessee. And when you start looking at these districts, each area has its own unique things. I'd say absolutely across the country, the high cost of living, how Republicans have raised costs for families, their gutting health care across the country are national issues, but they're also very local issues across the country. And it's why we, you know, when we have strong candidates who are speaking to that, who understand that, that's how we win. And definitely in the midterms, there isn't a presidential at the top of the ticket. This is really a focus on these individual districts across the country.

You've talked a lot about affordability. You think prices clearly, you, if I'm hearing you correctly, and correct me if I am wrong, that is the turf on which you think this 2026 battle for the House will be fought and determined. We've heard from President Trump recently, he thinks 2026, and he's clearly trying to do what he can to create this environment, is going to be about crime and immigration and border security. You do not believe that that issue matrix is going to be as prominent as the president believes it will be?

'The top issue for folks, and it was last election cycle, too, are pocketbook issues. The number one issue for families is can I put a roof over our heads? Can I put food on the table? These are the concerns folks have, understandably, housing, food, health care, child care, energy costs, everything going up since President Trump took office. Republicans have not stood up for in Congress, have not stood up for their communities, costs going up. And it's their policies that are doing it. It's tariffs that have been raising costs of food, raising costs of housing. These are taxes on working families across the country. The big ugly bill they passed ripping away health care from millions of people. People are going to see premiums go up for next year. Double-digit increases in premiums. Republicans aren't extending the premium tax credits. That means in my state, for example, 65% increase for folks who get their health care in the exchange. Our state estimates that 80,000 people will lose health care just because of that alone. These are all things that are a result of Republican policies. People are feeling that. The reason it resonates is because people feel it. That's what they're going through right now at home.

On fundraising, you are besting your Republican counterparts at the NRCC. You've got more cash on hand. You've raised more in 2025. That also seems to be or at parity, at least a similar story in some of those metrics on the Senate side, where it does not seem to be the case is when you look at the DNC versus the RNC. And I'm wondering if you are concerned or have had conversations with Chairman Ken Martin, that the Democratic National Committee is so far lagging the Republican National Committee in fundraising and cash on hand that that may hamper your ability to win back the majority.

You know, we've been making the case across the country why we are running ahead is because the number one thing we can do to put a check on this administration, to have a Congress that works for the American people, is to take back the majority in the House. Number one. Are there more things we can do? Absolutely. Number one thing we need to do is take back the majority in the house, take back the gavels.

But are you concerned that the DNC is not raising as much to help you with that?

'You know, I'm going to make sure that we have resources to support our candidates across the country. Candidates are also raising strong. But yes, it's important that we have the resources to communicate, that folks know who who's running for office and that we fight the mis- and disinformation that we know Republicans are going to put up there.

And my final question for you is about redistricting. Obviously, we've seen what Donald Trump and the Republicans in Texas did to try to pad their majority. We see what they're doing in places like Missouri and Indiana. We'll see how Ohio does with its court ordered redistricting, and we've seen Democrats respond. Other than California, where should we expect you and the Democrats to look next to try, as I hear Kamala Harris this week, and I've heard this from other Democratic leaders say Democrats want to fight fire with fire. Where is that next battlefield of fighting fire with fire after California for you all?

'Well, first, let's be clear. The reason this is happening is because Republicans know they're losing. And instead of actually talking about the issues that matter to their communities and fighting for policies that do that, they want to rig the system. The people of Texas didn't say, we want a new map. Donald Trump said, give me five seats and Republicans said, yes, sir. That's what put us - and people hate this. And the people of Texas in a bipartisan way hate this, the people in Missouri, where they've also been pushing on a new map, hate this. We absolutely are going to use every tool we have to fight back. California? Huge difference. It's going to the voters. The voters are going to decide. Texas, they didn't go to the voters.

But California, you may be able to net five seats to your advantage to sort of respond to the Texas five seat gain. But if the Republicans keep going to other states and amassing numbers, I'm wondering, where after California do you see a place that you can...

Then Utah's been ordered to draw a new map that was from previous litigation happening there. That gives us an opportunity. You've heard other governors like J.B. Pritzker or Wes Moore in Maryland and in Illinois. This is about taking away the voice of the people in other states, too. When Republicans try to rig the system, they are trying to take away people's representation all over the country. So we absolutely are going to fight back. And I just say they should be careful what they ask for. Because we are running 15 points ahead. People are angry. And when we have great candidates who are talking about issues that matter, they're going to have districts where we can pick up seats and we're going to fight in every one of those competitive districts to do just that and take back the majority in 2026.

Chairwoman Suzan DelBene, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.

Thank you.

That's it for this week's edition of the CNN Political Briefing. We'll be back with a new episode next Friday. Thanks so much for listening.