If you have ever been guilty of believing that “both sides” in American politics are bad or the same or equally to blame for something awful, the current government shutdown – and the causes behind and the threats contained within it – should put that nonsense to rest for good.
The two sides are not the same.
Whatever flaws the Democrats may have – and believe me, I have lost my mind and a fair amount of sleep considering those flaws and how to correct them – they are not the party that has threatened to starve poor people in order to more quickly take away even more poor people’s health care.
That’s the Republicans.
No matter how they spin it. No matter what talking points they use. No matter how many times they try to vilify immigrants. The simple facts are the same.
The shutdown is happening because Democrats are trying to stop millions of people – mostly poor and working class people – from either losing their health care coverage altogether or from facing skyrocketing price increases. Increases that could see the costs double or triple on struggling families.
That’s the impasse.
There’s nothing else. It’s not more complicated. There are no secret provisions.
Republicans are trying to gut health care subsidies that make insurance coverage somewhat affordable for working families in order to pay for the massive tax breaks – tax breaks that still added more than $3 trillion to the national debt, by the way – that primarily benefit the wealthy and significantly increase taxes on the poor.
Democrats, who tried to stop this travesty when the “big beautiful bill” legislation was passed without a single Democratic vote, are using their only available leverage to force Republicans to have a heart – to suggest that maybe we not allow rich people to write off the cost of the entire private jet and instead let the struggling family of four see a doctor from time to time.
Because here’s what average families are looking at if Democrats fold and allow the cuts to health care subsidies to go into effect.
In Maine, a family of four earning $130,000 per year faces a $16,100 increase in premiums. That’s an increase. Not a total cost. Of more than $1,500 per month.
In Maryland, a couple in their 60s bringing in about $85,000 per year would face a $13,700 increase in premiums. More than a grand a month. Do your parents or grandparents have that lying around?
In Minnesota, the increase for that same couple in their 60s is $15,500. In Nevada, it’s $18,000.
In blood red Kentucky, it’s a whopping $23,700. Nearly $2,000 per month.
You still think Dems are to blame here?
I mean, let’s be real, you see the widening of the wealth gap, right? You live in this world, where your same pay is able to buy less and less. You see the gaudy, extravagant lives that are being led by the ultra-wealthy. You understand, I’m sure, that as they continue to collect and horde more wealth, it will continue to widen that gap, continue to price you and your family out of basic necessities and will continue to make pretty much everything unaffordable.
In that setting, Democrats are trying to protect the one thing they believe to be most important, and at least preserve a chance that you and your kids can afford to go to a doctor when you’re sick.
And Republicans are fighting tooth and nail against it. Fighting tooth and nail to be able to deliver those tax breaks to their elite campaign donors.
Up until Monday, all of them were willing to use hungry children to win.
The Trump administration told states on Friday that it will not be sending federal funds to pay for food stamps programs starting Nov. 1. They know full well what that means. In Alabama alone, some 750,000 people – most of them in families with kids – will go hungry.
Not because they have to. Not because America is out of money. Not because there was a national disaster or worldwide emergency.
But because Republicans want to push through the health care cuts for these same poor people. So rich people can buy more cars and beach houses.
On Monday, when it became clear that the cuts were coming and there would be an overwhelming pushback from the masses, some Republicans finally relented. There’s a proposal being floated to pay for food stamps. We’ll see if it passes.
But Democrats are going to fold if it doesn’t. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. They can’t sit back and allow kids and poor people to go hungry.
If they were good, ruthless politicians, they would. If this was just about scoring political points, they’d stand their ground. They’d allow the cuts to food stamps and the cuts to health care coverage to both go into effect. They would wait for the national recognition to come as millions of hungry people and tens of millions of uninsured people start to wake up from this Trump nightmare.
They would reap the benefits of their political calculations. They would turn that human suffering into personal gains.
That’s what they would do if the two parties were the same.
