The Democrats Caved - What Does This Mean for Americans?
On Oct. 1 Democrat and Republican Senators were unable to agree on health policy leading to the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States. Read our article “What Does This Government Shutdown Mean?” to learn more about the shutdown. After over 40 long days of limited government functionality and seemingly no end in sight, a key vote on Nov. 9 sparked the much anticipated movement towards finalizing the legislation and reopening the government.
During this key vote, eight Senate Democrats broke from their party in order to advance a stopgap spending bill that will reopen the government until Jan. 30. The legislation moved forward with a vote of 60-40.
Did The Republicans Give Democrats Anything?
Although an agreement has been reached, the Democrat’s central demand and reason for not voting to push through the Republican’s proposed legislation, which was based around extending health care tax credits, are not a part of it. The deal instead offered Democrats the assurance of a vote on extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act by mid-December.
While there may be a scheduled vote on this issue, because most GOP Senators are opposed to the tax credits and the Affordable Care Act, it is likely to fail. Furthermore, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, has not agreed to match House vote on the issue making the chances of an extension even lower.
While it may seem like Democrats lost this fight when looking at the broad picture of the situation, it’s the small wins that really count. Throughout this government shutdown, Democrats were able to guarantee some parts of the government be funded through next fall while the rest be funded through Jan. 30.
They also protected funding for the food assistance program SNAP through Sept. 26, 2026 and have ensured that it cannot be used as leverage in any funding fight in the near future.
Democrats additionally secured wins for federal workers, including the reinstatement of those who were laid off during the shutdown through reductions in force and language that bars the administration from conducting any future mass firings for the duration of the resolution, ending on Jan. 30.
What Does This Mean For Americans Moving Forward?
While Republicans in both the House and the Senate have been widely opposed to finding solutions, there is a possibility involving Congress stepping in to either pass an extension, reinstate the subsidies after expiration, or work towards another solution. Though, if congress chooses not to step in and take action on healthcare costs, the enhanced premium tax credits Democrats were trying to get an extension for will expire.
This shutdown played an important part in highlighting the healthcare crisis and showing the American people who is on their side. It presented itself as a chance to publicly call out the Republicans in positions of power who refuse to step up to find solutions that will help the American people. Hopefully, Americans will see past the eight who caved and still see this.
