…..With the longest government shutdown in American history ending on the evening of November 12 at President Trump’s resolute desk, it becomes time to reflect on the root cause of the pain millions endured. Without the government being open, our country cannot function. I agree with the statement “it takes two to tango” in the context that both political parties are responsible for serving the American people and making sure our government runs smoothly. However, one of the parties is significantly more responsible in this case. The political scene within the United States has become increasingly polarized, and this government shutdown is a textbook example. 

…..Before the shutdown began, the Republican led House of Representatives passed a Continuing Resolution Bill to fund the government through January 30th.  The Republican’s main goal was to make sure that the government would continue to operate, and to avoid a shutdown.  They were not looking to score political points or create more spending or legislation than necessary.  However, Senator Chuck Schumer, the Minority Leader from New York, had different plans.  In March of this year, when the government spending bills were running out, Senator Schumer agreed to a Continuing Resolution.  However, that did not go well with the far left Progressives in his party, who have gained influence within the party in recent years.  He was threatened and pressured with the idea that AOC was going to primary him if he did not make it right, as many in his party were angry with him.  Therefore, now in October, Schumer had to prove himself to his party.  The Democrats have had no luck opposing President Trump, so they hoped that a Schumer shutdown would make the President look bad as the media always supports Democrats in a shutdown since the Clinton days. Thus, when the government ran out of money in October, the Democrats refused to sign off on a continuing resolution. Why? Because they wanted to add ridiculous subsidies to the spending bill, which they knew would be dead on arrival. First, they wanted to change Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, which was just passed in July, which would give Medicaid benefits to illegals.  Second, they wanted to extend the tax credit premiums of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) by giving out additional healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants. If they truly cared about the well-being of the American people, they would keep the government open. Instead, throughout the 44-day shutdown, while Republicans continued to vote to re-open the government fourteen times, Senate democrats voted “No” on a House-passed continuing resolution a whopping fourteen times. Schumer said that every day the government shutdown continues, his party is in a better situation.  Also, numerous Democrats said to the media that they understood how serious the shutdown was but that “this is the only leverage we have.”  Meanwhile, the 42 million low-income Americans who rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits were losing them. Additionally, our nation’s airports became a mess because our air traffic controllers were not being paid. Many federal employees could no longer provide for their families because they were not receiving paychecks.  Yet, this was the Democrats’ only leverage so it did not matter, they did not care about the pain it was causing.  They reasoned that it hurt the Trump presidency, they did not care about the nation or the people or the economy.  The bottom line is that this situation was completely avoidable and uncalled for. 

…..The irony about the Democrats is that their constituents are being affected the most by the shutdown. Instead of putting the people of this country first, they prioritized themselves, their political agenda, and their woke ideologies. Republicans gave them countless opportunities to do the right thing, but they never caved in until this point.  Finally, because they won the NYC mayoral race along with the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s race, all of which were solid blue-favored races, they were under the impression that this meant that the people were speaking to them and telling them to continue the shutdown. Stay tuned, as they will inevitably shut it down again after January 30.           

Another consequence of the government shutdown is the stress on our armed forces. Our troops were not receiving their paychecks. It is not fair for the families of active duty personnel to have their funds delayed. Without our military, we would not be enjoying the freedoms we live out each and every day. This further illustrates the bitter selfishness of the modern-day Democratic Party which has become a Progressive-Socialist party. Even though they are in the minority, I give credit to the eight democratic senators who patriotically voted to reopen the government. One of these senators is John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Fetterman said, when asked why he voted against most of his party, “It’s the wrong tactic and I refuse to hold our government hostage and plunge our country into chaos.” This could not have been said any clearer. It does not take much courage to stand up and put the American people first. In early, 2024, when the Republicans were in the minority, Democrats were on audio and video stating that shutting down the government is selfish and makes no sense.  In addition, the Democrat initiated shutdown only worsens their chances in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The Republicans currently hold a majority in both the House and the Senate, and it is increasingly likely it will remain this way next year.  This shutdown is yet another example of the collapse of the Democrat party. Until they find a competent leader, the support for the party will be in doubt.