In a role reversal from past partial shutdowns this century, the GOP is trying to force through temporary legislation funding the government at current levels — known in Washington as a “clean” continuing resolution — while Democrats are holding out for concessions.

“We are not willing to pay $2.5 billion or $5 billion and wasting taxpayer dollars on a ransom note because Donald Trump decided that he was going to shut down the government and hold the American people hostage,” then-incoming House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told ABC’s “This Week” in late 2018.

“That’s unreasonable.”

At the time, President Trump and Republicans were demanding funding for a border wall as part of any measure to fund the government. Democrats had wanted to keep the issue separate from any continuing resolution (CR).

“To use the shutdown as hostage, which they had no arguments against, is wrong and we would urge them respectively to reconsider,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) groused in early 2019.

“…Open the government as we continue to debate what is the best way to secure our border.”

Ultimately, the government entered a partial shutdown for a record 35 days, from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019.

Schumer had taken heat back in March of this year from his progressive base for declining to block a “clean” GOP CR that kept the government running through Tuesday.

Following that pressure, the Senate Democratic leader has tagged along with the progressive base’s push to get into a shutdown showdown with Republicans to extract concessions from them on healthcare.

One of the most outspoken voices among Senate Democrats in both the March showdown and the current one, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), panned the GOP for making demands during the 2018-2019 fight.

“Stop trying to negotiate. Open the government. Then we’ll talk about whatever you want to talk about,” he declared as the standoff neared its end.

Republican demands to end the shutdown keep changing – by the hour – because they know they’ve completely, totally, and convincingly lost this debate with the American public.Stop trying to negotiate.Open the government.Then we’ll talk about whatever you want to talk about.

This time around, Murphy is decrying Republicans for not negotiating with Democrats.

Republican demands to end the shutdown keep changing – by the hour – because they know they’ve completely, totally, and convincingly lost this debate with the American public.Stop trying to negotiate.Open the government.Then we’ll talk about whatever you want to talk about.

“There’s no negotiation happening because Trump has told Republicans not to talk to Democrats,” he whined to MediasTouch earlier this month. “We’re not asking for the moon.”

However, what Democrats are asking for in terms of healthcare concessions carries a much larger price tag than what Trump had demanded for the border wall in late 2018.

A full extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies could cost as much as $350 billion through 2035, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Fully reversing GOP-backed Medicaid reform could cost close to $600 billion, according to some estimates.

“Under Biden, Democrats claimed they were ‘saving’ the government from shutdowns. Now, Democrats are threatening a shutdown to push their radical wishlist. Pure hypocrisy,” Republicans chided on their official X account last week.

Under Biden, Democrats claimed they were “saving” the government from shutdowns. Now, Democrats are threatening a shutdown to push their radical wishlist. Pure hypocrisy. pic.twitter.com/SYOYqa2KAs

Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) inked an op-ed in The Post last week raking Dems over the coals for the contrast between their past and present talking points.

“Next time you hear a Democrat lecture you about ‘extremists’ and ‘hostage-taking,’ remember this: When it suited them, they said exactly the same thing about shutdowns,” he wrote.