Scott Gurvey's Public Offerings

Democrats thought they had a good issue. They’d pass still another continuing resolution to reopen the government in return for an agreement from Republicans to extend special subsidies for insurance policies bought through the Affordable Care Act. They misjudged the willingness of Donald Trump to continue his war on America by inflicting more pain on the American people. Cut food assistance for more than forty million Americans? Sure. Cripple the air traffic system by requiring controllers to work without pay? Of course. Furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers and threaten to penalize them by not restoring their wages when they return to work. No problem.

Democrats underestimated Trump’s need to inflict pain. He loves it. He gets off on it. Nothing massages his massive ego more than enjoying a luxury party at his Florida home while people can’t buy food. If they can’t get groceries, let them eat cake. The ACA is also known as Obamacare. Trump hates Obamacare. A doubling or tripling of premium rates for Obamacare insurance policies just gives Trump more ammunition to attack the program. Trump has been trying to kill Obamacare for decades. He insists he will replace it with something better. He never produces a new plan. His supporters don’t seem to mind. So, Trump would not give in to the Democrats no matter what.

In the end eight senators who usually vote with the Democratic caucus broke ranks. None of the eight is up for election next year. Two have announced they are retiring. For the record, they are:

John Fetterman	Pennsylvania (2028)
Maggie Hassan	New Hampshire (2028)
Tim Kaine	Virginia (2030)
Angus King	Maine (2030)
Jacky Rosen	Nevada (2030)
Jeanne Shaheen	New Hampshire (retiring)
Dick Durbin	Illinois (retiring)
Catherine Cortez Masto	Nevada (2028)

Are these eight heroes or villains? We will not know for some time. Having come to the realization that Trump was not going to budge no matter how much Republicans took the blame for the shutdown, the eight figured it was time to reopen the government in exchange for a December Senate vote that would force Republicans to go on the record on the issue of the subsidies. The problem with this logic is that the promised vote applies only to the Senate. Trump acolyte Speaker Mike Johnson is not under any obligation to allow a vote in the House.

Voters who face sticker shock from big increases in their Obamacare premiums might take it out on the Republicans. Or they might not. The eight who surrendered will not personally face the consequences in 2026. They, like Trump, just don’t seem to give a damn.

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