For a Republican point of view, see “Democrats should support measure to reopen the federal government,” by Rep. Morgan Griffith.
Right now, millions of Americans are staring down the prospect of skyrocketing health care costs, all while Donald Trump and his allies are holding the government hostage. If the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire at the end of the year, more than 20 million people will see their costs surge. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, premiums could nearly double for some families, and more than 3.5 million Americans could lose their coverage entirely.
In Virginia, families are already receiving notices about their insurance premiums going up. A family of four could see an increase of $350 a month. A 60-year-old couple could face more than $1,000 in added costs. Republicans set this expiration in motion when they chose to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans instead of extending these critical tax credits for working families. This is an avoidable travesty. Yet absurdly and inexplicably, Trump and his political allies have decided that ensuring Americans can go to the doctor without going bankrupt is an unreasonable policy.
We abhor government shutdowns. We say this not just as Senate Democrats, but as longtime Virginia elected officials who are fiercely protective of our constituents, and the track record to prove it. Virginia is hit harder than almost anywhere else when Washington fails to fund the government because how many federal workers and military families live here. After a 2019 shutdown dragged on for more than a month, we secured legislation guaranteeing back pay for furloughed federal workers — making sure that no matter how much someone like Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought wants to “traumatize” hardworking, nonpartisan civil servants, they can’t be financially held hostage. (This remains the law, despite the Trump Administration’s made-up, saber-rattling assertions to the contrary.) Earlier this month, we introduced legislation to extend that guarantee to federal contractors. And we’ve long pushed for legislation to end government shutdowns altogether.
But we also know that governing requires negotiation and compromise. In America, we don’t have a king – we have a President and a legislature, each elected by the people. Funding the government has always required both sides to negotiate in good faith and honor their commitments.
That’s not what happened this time. From the start, Trump and House Republicans tried to do this on their own. Republican leadership drafted their continuing resolution at Trump’s direction, deliberately excluding Democrats. Then they turned around and demanded that the Senate simply rubber-stamp a partisan bill. That’s not how this process has ever worked — under Democratic or Republican presidents, with either party in control of Congress.
In past negotiations, both parties would sit down, lay out their priorities, and hammer out a compromise that reflected common ground. That’s how governing is supposed to work. Trump, for all his art-of-the-deal bluster, should know that in a negotiation you drive a hard bargain to ensure that the end result is as close to your goals and priorities as possible. Because Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House, the responsibility for this shutdown lies squarely with them. If they can’t get their act together to govern despite total control of Washington, the American people will rightly hold them accountable.
Our other core priority is making sure any deal is actually honored. Trump and his lackeys, especially OMB Director Vought, have repeatedly tried to withhold or obstruct already-appropriated funds from being sent out. We need ironclad assurances that if we reach a bipartisan agreement, this administration won’t turn around and violate it.
We want this shutdown to end as soon as possible. It will require good-faith negotiation from both sides.
Our position is reasonable, clear and consistent: protect Americans’ health care, negotiate in good faith, and stick to the deal. The American people will ultimately decide who’s right. We’re confident that our position — pro-health care, pro-bipartisanship, and pro-sticking to your word — is the stronger one.
Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the U.S. senators from Virginia. Both are Democrats.
