LOS ANGELES (OC).–Quietly behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, a group of centrist Democrats and Republicans work on a compromise to reopen the government, now breaking the infamous 35-day record set during the first Trump administration. Today “Enough is enough,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). With hundreds-of-thousands of government workers furloughed, including air traffic controllers, the government has come apart at the seams, needing lawmakers to step up to do what’s best for their constituents. Expiring SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs] and government subsidies for Obamacare are due to run out, leaving millions of vulnerable Americans in danger of food shortages. Elected officials have played around for too long, not realizing how many lives are affected by the government shutdown creating havoc around the country.
At the tip of the spear for Democrats Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y) have played hard ball with Republicans, taking a tough stand on the government shutdown, demanding that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) guarantee that $1.5 trillion in Medicaid funds be reinstated before they agree to reopen the government. President Donald Trump told Democrats to sign a clean continuing budget resolution to reopen the government and starting negotiations once the government is back open. “We’re exploring all the options,” said Schumer, hinting at movement within the Democrat caucus to end the shutdown. Today’s off-year Election Day could show whether the Democrat resistance strategy has paid off, with Democrats looking to pass redistricting measures around the country.
If Democrats prevail in many of the redistricting measures it could give Democrats more incentive to end the shutdown, but, more importantly, force the GOP to compromise on critical budget provisions that same Medicaid and 25 million Americans on Obamacare. Whatever the complaints about Obamacare, it provided uninsured citizens with preexisting conditions an opportunity to buy health insurance. Obamacare became part of the Medicaid program, subsidizing government health insurance for some 25 million citizens. Without reinstating Medicaid funding, Obamacare doesn’t have the resources needed to subsidize the Obamacare program. Reinstating the lost $1.5 billion in Medicaid funding is a top priority for Schumer and Jeffries currently holding out. Republicans need to suck it up and agree to spend the tax dollars subsidizing Medicaid.
So much of the government shutdown has become political that Democrats forget their responsibility to their constituents. Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer’s ad about supporting Prop. 50, the redistricting plan in California, says “Lets stick it to Trump.” So when it comes to the current government shutdown, at least for Democrats, that’s the way many in the party feel.“What message do you think in means when the president says, ‘I’m not going release those funds”? said Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), taking Trump way to seriously. Trump wants the shutdown to end as much as anyone but doesn’t like Democrats’ blackmail. Democrats want House and Senate Republicans to commit to restoring $1.5 trillion in Medicaid funds, it’s really that simple.
Centrist Democrats and Republicans look to get beyone the partisan rancor and cut a deal to open up the government. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Democrats Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are all working behind the scenes to reopen the government. “The pace of talks have increased,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich), hoping they can cobble together a group of bipartisan bills. But the real crux for fixing the stalemate is for Republicans to agree to refund the $1.5 trillion in lost Medicaid funds. That would satisfy Schumer and Jeffries, getting behind a motion to reopen the government. Republicans don’t want to cave in to Democrats but it’s late in the day with no one winners-or-losers at this point, requiring compromise on both sides.
Senate needs about seven more Democrat and Republican votes to reopen the government. Elected officials need to stop playing the zero sum game and deal with the needs of the people that require restoring SNAP, Obamacare and Medicaid funding. With the UPS air crash today in Louisville, Ky., it shows the dangers of flying when air traffic controllers aren’t getting paid, working with skeleton crews. Democrats and Republicans have already done enough damage to the country, requiring Congress to step up and end the shutdown. Even if Democrats don’t get everything they want now, the door to negotiation on restoring Medicaid funding has been opened. No matter how zealous Republicans on slashing the federal budget, the wrong place to cut is health care where so many citizens and businesses rely on health related businesses.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
