Congressional Democrats reportedly plan to continue the government shutdown standoff for several more weeks in an attempt to force Republicans to accept their healthcare demands.
Democrats are digging in, even as active-duty military service members risk missing a paycheck on October 15, because they believe they are “winning the messaging war,” as CNN put it.
One senior Democrat aide told CNN that as long as public perception is in their favor, the party will not concede short of “planes falling out of the sky,” presumably due to air traffic controller staffing shortages.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday called that comment “one of the most disgusting statements I’ve ever read.”
Early polling of the shutdown showed clear majorities of Americans blaming Republicans for the standoff, but the polls have tightened since then.
According to the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey, however, Americans blamed both parties for the shutdown, with 67 percent of respondents saying Republicans deserved a fair amount or a great deal of blame, and 63 percent saying the same of Democrats.
A big part of the Democrats’ shutdown strategy relies on Americans feeling the pain of rising health insurance premiums, which they plan to blame on Republicans.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) told CNN hopefully that “it could help” Democrats if the rate hikes started hitting mailboxes sooner rather than later.
“We actually just recently checked on this, and we’re waiting to hear why it hasn’t gone out,” Gallego explained.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) introduced a bill in January “to completely—and responsibly—repeal Obamacare.”
“The reality is that Obamacare is only affordable when it is heavily subsidized,” Biggs noted on X, earlier this week. “The complete failure of the ‘Affordable’ Care Act is why health insurance premiums have skyrocketed.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, the chair of the House Republican Conference, said Friday that she is working hard to pass the “Pay Our Troops Act,” so the troops don’t miss a paycheck.
“House Republicans voted to pay our troops with the clean CR. Disturbingly, Chuck Schumer is shutting down the government for taxpayer funded healthcare for illegals and his own personal political vanity project rather than paying our troops!” Stefanik posted on X. “The brave men and women who defend our great nation must not suffer because of the #SchumerShutdown.”
According to reports, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has decided to keep the government closed until at least October 18, because a left-wing “No Kings” rally is being held in Washington D.C. on that date.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Friday accused the Democrats of continuing the shutdown until after the rally, “because they can’t face their rabid base!”
“They have a Hate America rally scheduled for Oct. 18 on the National Mall. Pro-Hamas, Antifa people, they’re all coming out. House Democrats selling T-shirts for the event,” Johnson fumed during an appearance on Fox and Friends. “I have had it with these people. They’re playing games with real people’s lives.”
The speaker also blasted Schumer, accusing him of holding the government hostage and then bragging about it in a cynical bid for accolades from the party lunatic base.
“He said, quote, ‘every day it gets better for us.’ Better for who, Chuck? For the Democrats in the Senate? So you can bow to the Marxist base and not get a challenge?” Johnson fumed.
“Here’s another headline from POLITICO yesterday, quote, ‘Chuck Schumer’s critics are satisfied.’ Yeah, the far left base of the party is satisfied. They don’t mind the troops go without pay and civilian workers are furloughed. They don’t care,” he continued.
“Former DNC Chair David Hogg, he heaped praise on Chuck Schumer as well. This is what Chuck Schumer was after. This is what he desires—the praise from the far left,” the speaker explained.
“David Hogg said, quote, ‘give credit where credit’s due. This is a big step up,’ Johnson continued. “A big step up—while you’re delaying flights, while you’re making people go through this pain!”
The speaker also noted that the co-founder of the far left group, Indivisible also complimented the Democrat in a statement Thursday, saying: “Chuck Schumer hasn’t surrendered yet. I call that progress.”
Johnson told the Fox and Friends hosts: “Schumer is hurting real Americans for his own political survival. Shame on you, Chuck.”