Wasted Time Wasted Money
After 43 days, the longest government shutdown ended. A few Democrats agreed with the Republicans to reopen and restart the government. This brings to mind the question was the effort worth it?
States are having to scramble to extend full SNAP benefits to millions of people. This will only be possible now that the shutdown ended. This is a good for the country, but are the Democrats just caving in? The idea behind the reopening was to extend Obamacare benefits until January of 2026, and to prevent mass firings of federal employees. Trump had agreed to these stipulations at the time of the reopening, but is now rolling back on these promises. He has stated that the firings will happen anyway. So what of the extension of healthcare benefits? The Republicans have stated they will consider the healthcare issue in December, but will they?
There were great sacrifices made by government employees during the shutdown. 670,000 workers were furloughed, and 730,000 worked without pay. There is also the issue of the seven Democrats who crossed the line to side in with the Republicans. This breach of trust has raised some questions. Many did without in order to preserve healthcare. Starvation was the price paid, yet healthcare may not be extended. The deal was Democrats agree to reopen the government, and Republicans agree to renegotiate the Obamacare subsidies come mid-December. Republicans do not want these subsidies to continue, and there is no guarantee they will.
There is a possibility that healthcare costs will skyrocket, and government layoffs will occur. Are we all going to be back in the same situation that we all faced last October? Why would anyone agree to another shutdown if the first one didn’t work? The only good outcome seems to be Trump’s failing popularity along with fewer supporters for the Republicans. The mid-terms are too far away, and would voters trust the Democrats after caving in on the shutdown. The situation is weak.