WASHINGTON — Democrats are “not going to cave” and approve a Republican funding measure to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month because “the whole health care system is going to be under attack,” a senior Florida congresswoman said, adding that lives were at stake.
On Friday morning, House Republicans passed a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open past Sept. 30. It failed to pass the Senate the same day.
“Look, nobody really wants to have a shutdown, but we're not just going to cave,” said Lois Frankel (D-FL), a former mayor of West Palm Beach turned seven-term member of Congress. She was talking as both sides of the U.S. Capitol headed towards a week’s break for Rosh Hashanah, with no solution to the shutdown stand-off in
Last time government funding came to a crunch, in March, Democrats did cave, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) corralling enough votes to pass a Republican measure.
Schumer and other senior Democrats say that won’t happen this time.
House Democrats are angry Republicans cut them out of negotiations over the CR, which would keep the government open until Oct. 31.
The GOP measure therefore does not address Democratic concerns prominently including the impending lapse of tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, through which millions of Americans are able to access affordable health insurance.
“I think for most of us, the ACA, the running out of the tax credit is going to be a calamity,” Frankel told Raw Story.
“The premiums are expected to rise about 75 percent and there's 24 million people on the ACA.”
This week, the Congressional Budget Office said extending the ACA tax credits would let 3.8 million more people access health insurance by 2035. It also said doing so would cost $350 billion.
In a statement, Schumer said the CBO report showed it was “beyond time for Republicans to come to the negotiating table and work with Democrats to find a solution to this upcoming catastrophe.”
Speaking to Raw Story, Frankel cited cuts to Medicaid contained in the GOP “One Big Beautiful Bill” budget that passed earlier this year but is not yet in effect, saying: “The whole health care system is going to be under attack.”
“They want to kill Obamacare,” Raw Story said.
“Or kill the people, I don’t know,” Frankel said in reply.
Another veteran Democratic representative, Mike Thompson of California, told Raw Story, “Trump and Republicans aren't interested in helping people get the health care that they need and deserve.
“I think the health care thing is people’s top priority and I don't think we should take a knee to this guy. He's come out and instructed Republicans. It's just crazy.”
Asked if constituents back in California had told him not to work with Trump’s Republican party, Thompson, 74, said: “Well, I think there's folks who express those concerns.”
Blame game
Any shutdown swiftly becomes a blame game as much as an endurance test, the longer federal employees go without pay and members of the public go without vital services.
Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress but they think a shutdown will work in their favor, Democrats attracting more blame.
It’s set to be a key test before the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats desperately need to take back at least one chamber of Congress, if they are to press the brakes on Trump’s agenda.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, told Raw Story he wasn’t overly concerned about Republicans taking all the blame for a shutdown.
“I'm not worried, we're doing our job,” he said. “I don't like a CR, but it's the way to go. I’m sure we’ll get some blame. Comes with the territory.”
Raw Story asked: “Would your base like a shutdown?”
“I don't think so,” said Norman, 72. “There's all the good things going on.”
In March, Democratic leaders explained their climbdown by saying they worried Trump would fill the vacuum of a shutdown, moving to seize yet more power for himself and attack federal government functions.
Asked if Trump would move aggressively if a shutdown happens this month, Norman said: “Oh, yeah … the only thing we can do is what we’re doing.”
Another Republican, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX), said it was “kind of ridiculous” for Democrats “to shut the government down in order to try and force some kind of weird policy wins here.
“They're irresponsible. So I think that the CR play makes a ton of sense.”
Raw Story asked if Gill, 31, was worried Republicans would attract any blame for a shutdown.
No, he said, “Because it's not our fault. We'll do our job and then expect the Democrats to do their job.”
When Congress returns from its week-long break, a shutdown will be just two days away.