CONGRESS/DEMS/ELECTION/GOVERNMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “• The longest government shutdown in history inflicted severe political damage on President Trump, dragging down his poll numbers and stirring concern about his ability to navigate a divided government. He now appears without a plan for mounting a strong campaign in 2020. • With the shutdown over for now, Congress will hit reset this week, showcasing a Democratic agenda in the House that was overshadowed by the struggle to reopen the government. In both chambers, lawmakers have teed up a high-impact lineup of hearings. • As income tax filing season opens, a sweeping tax code overhaul and the lingering effects of the shutdown could squeeze taxpayers’ refund checks — and delay them, too.”
–NYT Staff, “On Politics: Did the Shutdown Hurt Trump’s 2020 Chances?,” The New York Times online, January 28, 2019