Trump and Republicans chose to shut down the Government, instead of saving health care for millions of Americans. Talking points follow.
• For months, Trump and Republicans refused to negotiate in good faith to keep the Government open. Now 22 million Americans will see their health care premiums skyrocket, because Trump is using them as political pawns. Here is what Trump wants: 22 million Americans will see their health insurance premiums double, because Republicans refused to extend ACA premium tax credits in their budget bill. Instead of extending ACA tax credits ($350 billion/10 years), the Republican budget bill spent over 10 times more ($4.5 trillion/10 years) to extend tax breaks to billionaires.
• Democrats are ready to reopen the Government when Republicans are willing to come to the table. When Senate Democrats last had the majority for four years, they didn’t have one shutdown. Why? Because Democrats negotiated all 13 funding bills during that time period with Republicans.
• Republicans know they have a losing argument on health care, which is why leadership is telling them to stay silent on the issue.
• Trump and Republicans own this Government showdown, and voters agree by a whopping 13-point margin.
• Meanwhile, Trump’s budget chief and Project 2025 author Russ Vought is taking advantage of the shutdown they created, to enact his Project 2025 agenda of mass layoffs. But labor unions that represent Federal workers are calling on Democrats to hold the line.
• The Trump agenda is also: raising prices for birth control, depression, and hypertension medications; forcing a majority of companies to shift higher health care costs on their workers, through higher deductibles and copays; closing rural hospitals because of Republican cuts to Medicaid funding.
Polling Shows that Americans Are Souring On Trump’s Agenda
• 75% of Americans say the Country is headed in the wrong direction, up from 62% in June, and the shift is being led by Republicans. 51% of Republicans now say the Country is headed in the wrong direction, compared to 29% in June.
• Americans believe Trump is wrecking the economy. He is underwater by 19 points on his handling of the economy, and underwater by 30 points on his handling of tariffs. The latest ADP report shows that U. S. private companies lost over 30,000 jobs in September. Other recent data shows that more Americans are unemployed than there are job openings. Meanwhile, construction jobs have had their biggest one-month decline since July 2020.
• A new Atlas Intel poll showed Democrats with an 8-point lead on the generic ballot, and an advantage over Republicans on health care, environment, and trade policy.