A stalemate between Democratic and Republican parties prolongs the shutdown into its second week.
WASHINGTON—Last Wednesday during Congress, an impasse between the Democratic and Republican parties caused a federal government shutdown—the tenth since 1976. A Democratic filibuster blocked a proposed Republican-backed fiscal resolution. Primarily, Democrats worried that the resolution removed healthcare accessibility, because it stated the end of 2025 as the end of notable tax credits for citizens purchasing health insurance under Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Republicans need seven Democrat votes to pass the bill with sixty votes from the Senate.
Democrats maintain that the budget resolution, especially the distribution of tax cuts, favors the 1%. Democratic National Committee Deputy and Rapid Response Director Jaelin O’Halloran states, “Donald Trump shut down the government to avoid shielding millions of Americans from skyrocketing health care premiums, even though he spent 10 times as much on massive tax cuts for billionaires.” So far, the left will not budge until the Affordable Care Act premium tax credit will outlast the end of 2025.
In a press release, right-wing Chairman Joe Gruters griped that “Democrats are holding up critical funding … because they want to pass a far-left wish list costing more than $1 trillion.” Conservative news outlets worry that the left prioritizes healthcare for illegal immigrants over the wellbeing of American citizens. Fox News displayed a digital illustration of American money showering a glowing white house beside a photograph of a group of “illegal” immigrants. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to comment on the “Illegal Aliens, many of them VIOLENT CRIMINALS” that will receive healthcare if the Democrats succeed.
Due to the intense state of political polarization, each party is forced to navigate the media to spin their narrative. Using a shutdown as a political tactic is not a new strategy. In 1995 President Bill Clinton disparaged Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as the public speculated that Gingrich was wounded because he was forced to sit at the back of a plane, and therefore refused to pass a budget resolution. The Daily News published a cover calling Gingrich a crybaby. Recently, The New York Times called 1995 “the most enduring illustrations of just how ugly government shutdowns can get. Until now.”
As of October 6, the federal government remains shut down. Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought continues illegal impoundment of congressionally approved funding against states with Democratic senators. On social media, he claimed that he will stop the flow of $18 billion for New York City infrastructure projects that go against “unconstitutional DEI principles.” This includes The Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project, which was expected to provide tens of thousands jobs building a two-track rail tunnel under the Hudson River.
The shutdown affects nearly all federal organizations and thousands of federal workers are facing mass layoffs. Notably, the Energy Department removed more than $7.5 billion in awards. 15,000 NASA employees were let go, further damaging an agency already experiencing cuts. Federal museums, including The Library of Congress and U.S. Botanical Garden, closed. Federal workers will not receive paychecks during this period.
