Photograph Source: Daniel Torok – Public Domain

Members of the Democratic Party are arguing over who was responsible for their failed attempt to use the government shutdown to pressure the Republicans into renewing the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Their message was that without that extension, more than 2 million people will lose health insurance coverage next year, according to projections by the Congressional Budget Office.

Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, gleefully poked at them, saying, “We told you 43 days ago that government shutdowns don’t work, you haven’t achieved your objective yet, and you’re not going to.” And he seems to be right, given that House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will not commit to bringing a vote to extend the credits up in the House.

Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries promises that Democrats will not give up on the subsidy extension even if the Senate votes against it. He pledges, “This fight is not over, we’re just getting started.” Seriously? A pledge without a plan is simply a sincere wish.

Democrats spend time playing the Blame Game, not taking action.

Democratic Party leadership focused on a strategy of forcing the Republicans to feel the public’s anger at the government shutdown. Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles on Substack shared polling from Navigator Research, which reveals that Trump’s overall approval rating dropped 8% since the shutdown began, a bigger drop than when he announced his wave of tariffs on his self-declared “Liberation Day” following his inauguration.

The Democrats’ message that Trump and the Republicans were to blame for the harmful impact of the shutdown on people’s daily lives had worked. However, it still did not persuade the Republicans to accept their proposal that ACA credits be extended for only a year.

Seven Democratic Senators recognized that anger against the Republicans might have peaked, and it was best to secure a partial victory now through a deal to reopen the government. Members of the Progressive Caucus called for Senate........

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