In a time when America has been wrecked by inflation, political violence, and international conflict, both parties have finally put aside their differences to shut down the government.
On October 1, the government shut down after both Republican and Democratic bills to fund the government failed. In order to fund the government, a budget or continuing resolution (CR) that maintains the same level of spending must be passed through both chambers. Responsibility for this shutdown, which has led to almost one million employees being furloughed and defunding critical programs, rests firmly on both parties. Democrats, who have previously attacked shutdowns as disruptive, have embraced this shutdown as a way to resist President Trump. Republicans have refused to negotiate in good faith with Democrats. All the while, President Trump is relishing in the increased power a government shutdown gives him.
Firstly, we need to address the elephant in the room, the literal elephant of the Republican Party. Republicans have a majority in both the House and the Senate, they have the presidency, and still, they can’t keep the government open. The republican bill passed the House, but in the Senate (where it needs 60 votes), Republicans have not been able to pass it through. The GOP knows they need Democrats; they know that Democrats won’t pass it without negotiating, and yet, they have refused to talk across the aisle.
Secondly, Democrats have legitimate concerns, but are using them to play political games. The main dispute is over Obamacare tax credits, which expire at the end of this year. Democrats warn that premiums will go up—and they’re right. Premiums are estimated to increase by $1000 on average, with retirees and the poor facing even harsher increases. Democrats aren’t using the shutdown just to advocate for policy; they’re using it to showboat to their base. Democratic voters have been angry at the party’s weak opposition to the President, and party leaders have seized on the shutdown as a way to both attack Trump and strengthen their voter base. Allowing almost one million workers to be furloughed and federal programs to be defunded just to try to gain in the polls shows that the Democrats are just as guilty as Republicans in this crisis.
Thirdly, there is the specter of President Trump. The President’s ego always plays a massive role (as it always does) in the shutdown. After winning a solid victory in last year’s elections and lacking understanding of the concept of compromise, he has contributed to congressional gridlock. It would come as no surprise if the President wants to break his record of a 35-day shutdown in his first term, considering his childlike obsession with being first. Not only has President Trump encouraged the shutdown, but he has also used it to further his own political agenda. Slashing more federal jobs, not paying workers, and defunding welfare programs are all options he’s considered and implemented since the start of the shutdown. Despite the shutdown, the pace of ICE raids and strikes on boats in the Caribbean has continued full speed ahead, with Congress too busy with the shutdown to interfere.
Washington’s incompetence is nothing new, but the intensity of attacks and refusal to compromise has never been seen before. AI videos of political opponents bragging about the shutdown and negotiations that devolve into shouting matches show that a new superficial era of politics has begun.
While Americans deal with defunded food stamps, transportation delays, no paychecks, and higher premiums, Washington politicians continue to rant and rave while doing nothing for their constituents. Will it ever end?
