With funding set to lapse in just hours, Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss if a deal can be reached to avoid a government shutdown – and if not, how leaders will get out of one. Then they are joined by Seven Letter partner Mike Ricci, a top adviser to two GOP speakers, for a trip down memory lane as they revisit the 2013 government shutdown. What was the strategy going into and during the fight? When did things start going off the rails? And what lessons does that experience offer Democrats?

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Guest: Mike Ricci

Audio Producer: Benji Englander

Video Producer: Regina Anderson

Articles Discussed:

AP: Congressional leaders leave White House meeting without deal to avoid government shutdown

NYT: How Congressional Leaders Are Positioning Themselves in the Shutdown Fight

Politico: Johnson urges GOP unity as shutdown deadline nears

WaPo: White House begins plan for mass firings if there’s a government shutdown

WaPo: Government shutdowns high on drama, but low on long-term political impact

AP: A look at previous government shutdowns and how they ended