Why Democrats Won the Shutdown - Neera Tanden WSJ op-ed
As the Senate gears up to vote on an extension for expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies—a vote many expect to fail—it’s tempting to wonder what the point of the shutdown was. But the Democrats were right to fight for these healthcare subsidies. By almost every measure, their party is better off for having done so.
For most of the year, Democrats have enjoyed little leverage in responding to President Trump’s outrageous acts. They can’t influence reconciliation bills, executive actions or nominations. The vote on the continuing resolution was only the second time this year that Democrats in Congress had leverage with Republicans. The resulting shutdown was important not only on the substance, but for an anti-Trump opposition that had been struggling to find its voice.
The shutdown pushed the conversation toward Democratic strengths. Democrats were on their soundest footing when warning that Affordable Care Act premiums could spike, even double, for more than 20 million Americans, that 14 million or more could become uninsured because of premium hikes and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and that more Americans today fear rising healthcare costs than at any point in recent years.
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We saw in real time how the congressional fight over healthcare bolstered Democrats electorally. Govs.-elect Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger cruised to double-digit wins over their Republican opponents before the shutdown even ended. Next year, every member of Congress will have to answer two questions from voters: Where were you when Mr. Trump raised the cost of my groceries, my healthcare, my utilities? And what did you do about it?
The shutdown illustrates a point too often missed inside the Beltway—that fighting isn’t only, or even mostly, about who wins or loses. Rather, waging a fight defines what’s important to leaders and whom they stand with. And this shutdown fight showed America that Mr. Trump is willing to hurt average Americans to bully others and get his way. It showed Americans that Democrats were fighting for something that really matters in their lives: lowering the cost of their healthcare.
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https://www.wsj.com/opinion/why-democrats-won-the-shutdown-07c1818c?st=wVM3Cs&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
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Ms. Tanden is CEO of the Center for American Progress. She served as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, 2023-25.
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