Opinion | Government Shutdown: Democrats Did the Smart Thing

The government has been shut down. “Government has shut down for the first time in nearly seven years.” It means that parts of the federal government that you rely on will no longer work the way they should. “Delayed loans to small businesses, to farmers. Longer lines at airports.” Democrats decided to make the shutdown fight about health care. “But we will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of the American people.” They knew that there were these Obamacare subsidies that were passed during Covid. If these subsidies are allowed to expire, it will mean that the average Obamacare payment will go up as much as 75 percent. Lots of folks are going to look at that bill and say: We just won’t buy coverage for next year. Democrats have decided that they’re going to try to protect these subsidies, which will make it so that more people can stay on Obamacare. “President Trump calls their demands unserious and ridiculous.” I actually think Democrats were smart about this because they knew that health care is something that has broad support. And remember, we’re in a moment where there’s more and more inflation, so people’s health care getting more expensive will ultimately even hurt Trump’s approval rating. Democrats are trying to get Republicans to do something that will actually help them . And perhaps that is the most baffling part of this entire shutdown. And when I look at this shutdown, I have to wonder, should politicians protect voters when voters voted for something that might not be in their interest? I think Democrats think that they should make sure that Obamacare premiums don’t go up. And that’s why they’re shutting down the government. And that’s why they’re shutting down the government.