As I write this blog, the U.S. Senate is actually in session, arguing for and against a deal that will end the record 39-day federal government shutdown. This shutdown has led to a suspension of SNAP (food stamp) benefits, canceled flights across the country, federal layoffs and payless paydays for numerous government employees. Though Republicans have a majority in both the House and Senate, they have been unable to prevent a shutdown because Senate rules require 60 votes to end the debate.
The key sticking point for Democrats has been Republican refusal to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act for one more year.
Under the deal, the government will be funded through the end of January. Senate Republicans have promised a vote on the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies during the second week of December. There is no guarantee that the vote will pass or that the House will bring the matter to a vote.
Seven Democrats and one Independent support the legislation to end the shutdown. They are Dick Durbin (Ill), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), John Fetterman (Pa), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev), Maggie Hassan (NH), Tim Kaine (Va), Jacky Rosen (Nev) and Angus King (Me).
Although voters appear to have held Republicans responsible for this shutdown, the truth is that Democrats have been happy to cut off our noses to spite our faces over health care subsidies. that were set to expire at the end of this year. As consequential as this will be for many Americans, it is less painful than it is to starve children.
Enough is enough already.
47 comments:
The bottom line is the GOP passed an indefensible tax cut that disproportionally benefits the wealthy, and balloons our debt and increases the deficit, and then subsequently are telling use we can't afford things like health insurance, food assistance, and spoiler alert next stop is social security checks. They already have reduced SS for disabled people, and next will be regular SS checks that everyone who paid into the system receives. Dump has the money to pay for food stamps during the shutdown - the claim was he didn't. The cruelty is laid bare for anyone to see, who cares. The ACA is excellent insurance. I was on it for several years, and there is no way I could have afforded insurance without it.
Thank you for acknowledging the extended government shutdown was actually a Democrat creation. Also, the now clearly failed Obamacare program was also of Democrat making.
We should ALL agree, our recent United States Congress is a corporate-compromised and dysfunction group of self-serving jerks.
Time to vote against incumbents in both parties. You can still vote Democrat, Republican, or whatever is your preference. Just don't vote for any incumbent!
No hope with the people so called leaders they are only concerned with holding their power.
Obama care was a failure look what it did to our medical system
Last week's elections spoke loud and clear. Democrats that fold will get fired by the people just like all of last week's republicans did. Cut your nose off to spite their face? I hardly think so. Democrats should stand tall and strong against all this Republican bullshit. Especially the lies they tell that it's the Democrat's fault when they hold the majority at the federal and state levels. If they had any sensibility, they would cut their ties with Trump and start doing something to help the American people.
I did not vote for Fetterman last election. I've changed my mind about him. If he runs again, he has my vote.
Till the end of January - just another weak-kneed maneuver. Both sides of the aisle need to get their heads out and do their job properly. Real Americans should remember this come election time, but they won't.
If the Republicans and Democrats would establish a fair tax schedule that applies to all levels of wage earners, we as a Country would have enough funding to help the poor and fund the other necessary programs that helped make this Nation Great. I make $40,000.00 a year and must pay a "percentage" of my wages for Social Security Taxes and Income Taxes. Thirty percent of my wages for Taxes. If I were a High wage earner, those taxes cease after I earn a certain amount. Who gets hurt more by taxes? Me or the billionaire who doesn't pay Social Security taxes on 99% of his earnings? It should be a flat tax across the board for ALL WAGE EARNERS. I have nothing against anyone being successful and becoming independently wealthy, but pay the same percentage of your income for taxes as I do on my $40,000.00.
I agree about the ACA subsidies, but they were enacted during COVID and were set to expire. As for taxes, a person grossing $40k should be taxed 11% under current law, while the maximum tax rate is 37% for those with higher incomes. I support a graduated income tax. I am unaware that social security for the disabled has been reduced in any way. I don't know where you got that from. They do make it a pain to get it.
I agree. Any deal involving trusting the Republican leadership, and Trump, is dangerous.
Yes, though the GOP has the majority, 60 votes were needed in the Senate for a CR to keep the government going, making some Dem votes necessary.
Although Rs appear to have taken the hit at the polls, I believe it is irresponsible to refuse to fund the government to keep it running, no matter who is in power. A shutdown just hurts the people who need government help the most.
Our medical care system was a mess long before the ACA, and this was caused by predatory insurance companies and big hospitals who gouge people for care. I believe the answer is to socialize it.
You seem to forget that there is one party considered more unpopular than Rs or Trump. Tuesday's election was a rebuke of Trump and the Rs, not an endorsement of Ds. It was a rebuke of extremism. Demos will succeed of they stick to kitchen table issues instead of getting caught up in meaningless issues.
I am sure Fetterman will be primaried. While I agree with his vote, I am not sure that he is mentally stable.
So now we can finally get the representative duly sworn in and vote to get the Epstein/tRump files opened?
Because Trump's Tax Cut Plan lowered each of the income tax brackets found on the Tax Table pages, EVERY American income tax payer received a tax cut from what they were paying before. This includes all monthly pension payments and SOCIAL SECURITY monthly payments, too.
In addition, the Trump Tax Cut Plan greatly increased the Standard Deduction amount provided. That represents even more savings.
Keep in mind, the Trump Tax Cut Plan would have been allowed to expire had Trump not been elected back into office!
Obamacare needs to die before more Americans continue to die because of it. We were promised we would keep our doctors and health plans and save $2500 apiece, annually. Many/most of us lost our doctors and our plans, and are paying an average of $4000 MORE, annually. Even WAPO has admitted the plan was never workable. Read it and weep.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/01/health-care-subsidies-aca-obamacare-exchanges/
It was terrible law passed terribly under a lie. Not a single R in either the House or Senate voted for it. Not one. Obama promised it wasn't a tax increase. But the minute they got into court, the screamed, "It's a tax! It's a tax!"
A tax cut that is not matched by spending cuts results in an increase in the deficit which ultimately leads to:
Higher taxes.
Why is that so hard to understand? The government can’t cut taxes and increase spending indefinitely.
Fetterman is a phoney. He’s toast in the Democratic Party. His dress and demeanor are an insult to the Senate. Conor Lamb will be the next Democratic PA US Senator
Bernie O’Hare said: “Our medical care system was a mess long before the ACA, and this was caused by predatory insurance companies and big hospitals who gouge people for care. I believe the answer is to socialize it.”
First off, health insurance and medicine was not as costly before the ACA. The ACA is making huge profits for insurance companies and big hospitals, which is exactly the outcome that opponents told you would happen.
And because of this abysmal failure, your solution is to “socialize it” more? That’s insane!
Maybe you should ask veterans how they like THEIR socialized medicine at the VA! Has more government involvement lowered the cost of things like higher education? Hell no! Everything government touches ends up costing too much.
If anything, give people a direct subsidy and let them CHOOSE what they want to spend it on. Let them shop for the best deals, whether it’s healthy insurance or what doctors they want to go to. Make all medical providers have ONE PRICE for the services they offer, instead of multiple prices depending on what insurance you have (or if you have insurance at all).
Right now, we’re either gouged by the insurance companies for insurance, or gouged by big medicine if you don’t have their preferred insurance. It’s a rigged game, created the last time some morons thought the answer was to “socialize it”.
12:18 That's BS, no such thing happening. You're entitled to your opinion, but not your own facts.
Mine too- he, Panto. & Grucela are the only normal Dens keft!
Obamacare is a terrible plan- my premium is going up 5x's next year.
the debt is killing us and our children. We can't afford to keep putting the money we've been in the military, need to go to single payer (get rid of the middleman in health insurance) and stop giving tax cuts we can't afford.
My opinion only but probably more Republicans would have been elected locally last week if the Democrats had just truly admitted who was causing the shutdown; namely , that party.instead of blaming Trump and the Republicans. The only hope now is that they don’t mess things up too badly for us. Yes, Bernie, cut off noses to spite faces.
If you make 40k a year. Single no dependents. The standard deduction is 15700. So you’re paying 12% on 24300. What’s that about 2900 for federal income tax I guess. It’s 7.65% % for SS/ Medicare. That’s around 3060. PA state tax of 1228@ 3.07%. That’s more like 18% of 40k not 30%. I’m not an accountant so feel free to correct me but that’s what I came up with.
Fetterman is right. Nobody wins by shutting down the government.
Trump’s tax plan favors the wealthy with a mere pittance to average Americans to distract from the break for millionaires and billionaires.
10:34 - You MUST have noticed, Trump is ALL about spending cuts! First DOGE, next cutting the size of our government employee workforce. The lowered price of gasoline, cuts to the price of medicines. I'll bet you don't even believe the tariffs have brought in billions of new revenue.
Socialized medicine isn't working so hot in Canada.
This is type of government nonsense is causing big problems in local government. Esp Allentown. Councilwoman Mota at her victory speech stated she will not vote for a tax increase. She is the deciding vote. She also stated that there is a decrease in federal funding. See more at blogger "The Allentown Truth" . I had to change it from Allentown Truth
Some of you folks can't seem to understand the top 10% of all wage earners in America pay a whopping 72% of all federal taxes collected! I'm in that group.
But, you've been told to hate me and others like me. Sounds to me, the upper income bracket group is paying more than its fair share.
Cut the petty, juvenile jealously!
So it all comes down to food or medical care. This is disgusting , especially here in the 21st century. Who is in charge of this mess? Oh yeah, now I remember.
So Bernie you are a communist we thought so but you finally admitted it.
Nice try. But it's BS. Ds used to be against Big Healthcare before they showered Big Healthcare with huge Obamacare subsidies. Later, they gave another huge gift to Big Pharma by requiring people to get an experimental goop shot, lest they be fired. I still hear tax-funded radio commercials for ridiculous so-called vaccines. It's an ongoing gift to Big Pharma. The wheel has turned. You defend a party that no longer exists, and actively plots against working people.
yes i like my VA healthcare, thanks for asking
no, i think smart people know who is doing this to them
Great post!
Canada and the UK are having big troubles with their national health care programs.
It’s true. Dems favorability polls are actually lower than Rs. By about 10 points I think. But right now they both suck lol.
That’s just it 10:57 he’s not a phoney and won’t play ball with the establishment. He does what he thinks is right for his constituents. He’s a phony to you because he’s not carrying the far lefts water like they thought he would.
Just imagine the elderly on fixed income and Medicare probable pay more than you have
Cobra 2025 for two people a month is now 2900! Did u pay that much?
Certainly not Republicans.
Chuck Schmer is finished- I guarantee he retires next year. The inmates are running the Democrats!
My premium is tripling next tear!
I hear ya!
Post a Comment