Day 7: The movie we have already seen too many times
It seems that in Washington they have discovered the concept of déjà vu and they loved it. Because, surprise, the seventh day of the government shutdown sounded identical to the first. The Democrats, with their eternal faith that everything can be solved with more subsidies, are clamoring to negotiate medical aid that is about to expire. Meanwhile, the Republicans, in a display of flexibility worthy of a concrete wall, affirm that this issue – and any other issue other than surrendering at their feet – will not be touched until the government reopens. Because, clearly, paralyzing the country is the most mature way to show who’s boss.
The heart of the melodrama, or at least its most recent excuse, is the always controversial Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act or ACA for friends). Democrats, who seem to believe that public money grows on trees, want to extend premium subsidies that have made health coverage less painful for millions of people. The Republicans, for their part, insist with the refrain that the subsidized system “does not work” and must suffer cuts. Of course, “it doesn’t work” is a fancy euphemism for “we don’t like it because a president of the opposing party pushed it.”
A deaf choir in a suit and tie
In this festival of stubbornness, the leaders’ statements are gems of political comedy. Senator Chuck Schumer solemnly declared: “The Democrats’ position has not changed.” What a novelty! On Capitol Hill, changing your mind is seen as a deadly weakness, not an act of intelligence. Schumer added that they want to “stop the health care crisis that will cause premiums to skyrocket.” A crisis, by the way, that they themselves are fueling by not giving in even one iota. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson emerged from a meeting with Republican senators to proclaim that the party is “100% united.” How touching. A perfect unit for… well, for doing absolutely nothing to solve the problem.
And in the midst of this pathetic spectacle, hundreds of thousands of federal workers do not see a cent and public services suffer. But who needs a functioning government when you can have a partisan pulse of egos? Democrats console themselves by thinking that the population is on their side in their fight to maintain COVID-era subsidies. What they don’t say is that health care is the most intractable legislative battleground, where finding a middle ground is about as likely as seeing a unicorn strolling through the Oval Office.
To add more spice to this stew of incoherence, it turns out that not all Republicans sing in the same choir. Some, perhaps those who have spoken to their constituents, want to extend aid. Millions of people who receive their insurance through the ACA marketplaces are about to find out that their premiums will skyrocket next year. But many of his colleagues are staunchly opposed, seeing this chaos as a golden “opportunity” to try to reform the program. Because what better time for a complex reform than when the country is paralyzed and people are desperate?
The obsession that doesn’t die: Obamacare
You cannot understand this circus without remembering the Republican obsession with the ACA, former President Barack Obama’s signature law. They have been criticizing her for 15 years, a wedding anniversary that is more toxic than normal. They have weakened it, they have sabotaged it, but they have not been able to substantially alter it. And here’s the ultimate irony: A record 24 million people are currently enrolled for health coverage through the ACA, thanks in large part to those subsidies they so hate. Some Republicans now see the Democratic fight as their opportunity to revisit the issue, putting their own leaders in a more uncomfortable position than a tap dancer in a minefield.
Former President Donald Trump, never one to miss the drama, entered the scene through the front door of social media. “I will gladly work with Democrats on their failed health care policies,” he tweeted, “but first they must allow our government to reopen.” A statement that, of course, contradicted his previous comments about ongoing negotiations. Because coherence is for losers.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, the leader of the Republican majority, John Thune, dropped the pearl of the day: “there may be a way forward” on subsidies, but “a lot will depend on where the White House is located.” Translation: “We have no idea what to do and we hope someone else will decide for us.” Other senators, like Rick Scott, were more direct: “The problem with all this is Obamacare.” Of course, Mr. Scott, the problem is not a lack of will to govern, but a law that has been in force for more than a decade.
And Mike Johnson, not happy with the current disaster, was already talking about “pretty drastic changes” to the law that Congress could consider… once the government reopens. Because planning major renovations for later is easy; The difficult thing is to resolve today’s mess.
The bipartisan ‘groundhog day’
As leaders engage in the national sport of blame-shifting, some rank-and-file senators from both parties have engaged in private conversations. How romantic. Republican Mike Rounds proposes extending the subsidies for one year and then phasing them out. Senator Susan Collins suggests moving forward with bipartisan spending bills and a commitment to discuss health care. But, oh, sad reality! Many Democrats say a compromise is not enough, and Republicans say they need deeper reforms. In other words, the conversations are stalled. Is anyone surprised?
The jewel in the crown was put by Senator Angus King, an independent who usually votes with the Democrats but who this time supported the Republicans to keep the government open. He threatened to change his vote to “no” if Republicans do not “provide some solid evidence that they are going to help us with this” medical crisis. For his part, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin assured that his party “will not give in.” And so, in a deadly embrace of stubbornness, the government of the most powerful nation in the world remains closed for construction.
In short, what we have is a pulse of egos where the health of millions is the hostage and ideology is the weapon. A tragicomedy in which everyone acts as if time did not pass and problems were solved by magic. Meanwhile, in the real world, people wait to see if their health insurance will become an unaffordable luxury. But who thinks about that when there is a political battle to win?
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