Democrats in the U.S. Congress successfully held their ground against President Donald Trump, resulting in the longest government shutdown in American history. However, with several Democratic senators agreeing to a deal to end the shutdown, the party risks losing some of the political leverage they have built over the past six weeks.
Public opinion polls consistently indicated that Democrats were winning the blame game for the shutdown, with most voters pointing fingers at the Republicans in Congress or Trump himself. Additionally, the majority of voters seemed to support the Democrats on the crucial issue at the heart of the congressional standoff: the potential expiration of health insurance subsidies affecting millions of Americans.
After 40 days of the shutdown, all the Democrats have secured is a Republican commitment to hold a Senate vote on extending the subsidies, a vote they are unlikely to win. House Speaker Mike Johnson taunted the Democrats, emphasizing their lack of tangible gains from the prolonged shutdown.
Despite criticisms from prominent Democrats like Gavin Newsom and Juliana Stratton, who called the deal a “surrender” and a “betrayal,” respectively, some Democrats argue that the shutdown achieved intangible political gains. The party, since losing major positions in the government, has been seeking a way forward amid Trump’s aggressive policies and actions.
While the shutdown may have benefitted Democrats politically, it began affecting the lives of ordinary Americans, with canceled flights, unpaid federal workers, and potential SNAP recipients facing uncertainty. Eight Senate Democrats broke ranks to help advance the bill to end the shutdown, with some justifying their decision by stating that the shutdown had served its purpose but was unlikely to yield further results.
The deal to end the shutdown is expected to pass in the House, given the Republicans’ slight majority. Despite the inevitable outcome, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vows to continue the fight and highlights the impending healthcare cost increases that could be a focal point of the Democrats’ future political strategy.
In conclusion, while the Democrats may not achieve their goal of extending Obamacare subsidies, they aim to leverage the affordability issue to challenge the Republicans in the upcoming year.