Today, with no alternative funding in place, the United States government officially shut down. This development came after congressional Democrats blocked a Republican alternative plan to fund federal departments for an additional six months. Escalating tensions over the delivery of health care and the distribution of federal dollars have led to a stalemate of sorts. This gridlock has real consequences for millions of Americans.
The fight largely concerns the Democrats’ insistence that the bill include an extension of premium tax credits. These credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans are scheduled to sunset at the end of the year. The projected cost of these provisions is a staggering $1 trillion. This leaves millions of Americans with uncertain healthcare coverage—about 10 million people stand to lose coverage if Medicaid expansion is cut and the ACA is modified.
On health care, Democrats are advocating for even more investment. They likewise seek to undo the cuts to Medicaid and public media networks that Republicans forced. They want to stop former President Donald Trump from doing even more to weaken foreign aid. This provision has been the subject of scathing criticism from Republican leaders, who have accused the Democrats of endangering bipartisanship and the collaborative spirit.
Not that Republicans are really on the moral high ground—Republican Senator Ted Cruz referred to the Democrats’ shutdown threats as a “temper tantrum.” He contended that these moves would end up producing no tangible benefits. Meanwhile, Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso expressed confidence that internal divisions among Democrats are beginning to surface, stating, “The cracks in the Democrats are already showing.”
According to the latest polling data from Marist, the public has a splintered opinion on the ongoing shutdown. About 38% of respondents said they would blame congressional Republicans, and 27% said they’d blame Democrats. And in fact another 31% would blame both sides equally. Yet this division highlights the complicated and in some places hostile political terrain that continues to surround negotiations.
The cat is now out of the bag and the debate is heating up. Senate Majority Leader John Thune – who is not opposed to a short-term extension of the ACA credits – reiterated that any new government funding should be authorized first. The urgency of the situation has reached new heights. If we do not approve this extension, it would send health insurance costs through the roof for nearly 20 million Americans.
Notably, three members of the Democratic caucus broke ranks to support the Republican funding proposal during a vote on Tuesday evening. Two more than when the bill was initially considered earlier this month. Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, a Democrat, expressed his reasoning for supporting the bill, stating, “My vote was for our country over my party.”
Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer are still holding the line though. They are not willing to give an inch from their demands, even with this unprecedented show of bipartisanship. Now, signs of dissent among their ranks are starting to emerge.
Russ Vought, a former official in the Trump administration, commented on the situation: “It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict.” This uncertainty creates a whole different layer of complication as both sides try to figure out the best way to play the political fallout from this stalemate.
Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democratic senator from Nevada, expressed her alarm over the impact that a long-term shutdown could have. “I cannot support a costly shutdown that would hurt Nevada families and hand even more power to this reckless administration,” she remarked.
Of course, the shutdown has only recently started and many Americans are understandably concerned about how long it will last. They’re really scared about what it’s going to mean for public services and their daily lives. This will be the first government shutdown since the 35-day shutdown that occurred from December 2018 through January 2019. At the time, that shutdown happened during Trump’s first term in office.