General Discussion

Ending the shutdown supported families going hungry and federal employees working for no pay, vulnerable to mass layoffs that this deal prevents. The goal of Project 2025 is to dismantle federal agencies which actually help people. Prolonging the shutdown would give them more opportunity to do that.

The BIGGEST QUESTION is the likelihood that continuing the shutdown would eventially result in 3 things happening:

1. Senate Republicans would pass legislation restoring ACA subsidies.
2. House Republicans would take up the measure, and pass it.
3. The Orange Felon would sign it, conceding victory to Democrats.

Do you honestly think those 3 things would happen? I would have bet my retirement savings the shutdown would not achieve that goal shared by every Democrat in Congress, including those who voted to end the shutdown.

Simply rubber-stamping the CR at the end of September would have been to "support the Republicans."

We are in a POLITICAL WAR fought largely on the field of narratives and public perception. Given that Republicans could not be forced to restore ACA, the purpose of the shutdown was to put them on the wrong side of the healthcare issue -- making sure the public knows that skyrocketing health insurance costs and people dying for lack of care is ENTIRELY on the Republicans. The Senate vote on restoring ACA from Sunday's deal has no chance of passing, but it will put Republicans on record yet again doing real harm to the American people.

Polls show by a significant margin the public wants ACA restored, and people blame Republicans for the shutdown due to their intransigence on this issue.

The point was made. Continuing the shutdown would cause more needless pain to vulnerable people, with no more political advantage or benefits to be gained.

Do you really think the 8 senators who voted to end the shutdown are actually opposed to ACA, are secret Republicans, or were bribed or coerced?

If so, there's no use continuing this discussion.

If there is any negative polical fallout from this, it will mostly be from fellow Democrats excoriating our Senators who did what had to be done, and casting aspersions on the Democratic Party as a whole.

I've been a member of DU for nearly 24 years. I've followed politics since the 1968 election, and first voted in 1976. I protested the war in Iraq, and have been to 9 protests against this fascist regime. Winning the midterms in 2026 and the presidency in 2028 is crucial to the survival of our Constitutional democracy.

I believe continuing the shutdown would accomplish nothing, except more pain to hungry families and public servants. Let's not tear down the Democratic Party, which is the only viable option to win elections.

We all want the same thing, and have been on outrage overload far too long. Venting our fury at Senate Democrats is misplaced, possibly hurting our cause.