The Decision To Cave On The Government Shutdown Will Have A Deeply Sinister Consequence

"To many Americans who were counting on Senate Democrats to fight for them, this was a betrayal."

The Boy Scouts collected food this past weekend for needy families in my Boston-area suburb, while my church raised funds for the local food pantry.

In both cases, my family donated more than usual, given that President Donald Trump had ordered federal food aid for the poor, elderly and disabled stopped due to the government shutdown. As news outlets and social media feeds became populated with images of people in food lines — including furloughed federal employees and those working without pay — awareness about the acute need for such donations was high.

The historic government shutdown had stretched into its second month. Senate Democrats vowed they’d vote to open the government if and only if their Republican colleagues agreed to reinstate federal tax credits, which help 22 million Americans pay for their Affordable Care Act health insurance plans. Without these subsidies, ACA monthly insurance premium payments would “more than double,” according to KFF, a health policy organization. As a result of the projected price increases, an estimated 4.8 million people would be unable to afford their health insurance, the think tank the Urban Institute said.

Then, on Sunday night, eight senators who caucus with the Democrats agreed to reopen the federal government after the Senate Republican leadership said they’d hold a vote next month on the restoration of ACA tax credits, not that they’d actually restore them. It’s a proposal that, if put to a floor vote in the Senate and House, will likely fail, political observers predict.

To many Americans who were counting on Senate Democrats to fight for them — like the over 7 million who took to American streets for the latest “No Kings” rallies and the millions of voters who gave Democrats coast-to-coast victories last week — this was a betrayal. To disabled Americans, particularly those who live with incurable, chronic illnesses, it was more than that. It was a statement that their lives are simply a bargaining chip, eclipsed by disturbing photos of long food pantry lines and concerns over GOP pressure tactics.