Eric Cantor has some tough advice for Kevin McCarthy

If House Republicans and President Joe Biden cannot work out some type of agreement in the weeks ahead, it is entirely possible that the United States will suffer a government shutdown.

Former House Majority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) vividly remembers the shutdown of 2013, when Tea Party Republicans had considerable animosity for then-President Barack Obama. And he has some advice for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) and 2023's GOP House majority: Avoid a shutdown at all costs.

During an interview with Politico published on September 11, Cantor explained, "The real impetus for the shutdown in 2013 was to stop Obamacare from taking hold. But it was a completely ill-conceived plan, because Obamacare was law at that point. So, there was nothing we were going to do by shutting down the government to stop that from taking place."

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

Cantor continued, "I don't know what the rallying cry will be this time. Is it reductions in spending levels? Is it the border? Is it Ukraine money? Is it impeachment? I'm not sure what it is, but in any of those cases, where could there be a win? I'm not sure."

As hard-right as Cantor was during the Obama years, that wasn't enough for the Tea Party. In 2014, Cantor was primaried by Tea Party Republican Dave Brat, and Brat won.

The former House majority whip believes that a shutdown is likely. And he doubts that it will benefit Republicans politically in any way.

Cantor told Politico, "If we're talking about a stopgap continuing resolution in the first offing, anytime that has happened and there's been one side asking for a change in the status quo, I've never seen the side asking for the change in the status quo come out victorious. Unless there is a plausible way to execute a plan of a shutdown — meaning (Republicans) can actually win when you come out of it — I'm not sure there is a win there."

READ MORE:Republicans in disarray as government shutdown fight looms: report