Lawmakers weigh in on how the 'Blue Wave' will impact shutdown negotiations

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(The Center Square) – The current government shutdown is the longest federal funding lapse in U.S. history as of Wednesday; however, the results of Tuesday's elections have only solidified Democrats’ intent to keep the government closed unless Republicans agree to their health care policy demands.

In a Wednesday presser, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Democrats’ staunch opposition to both President Donald Trump and Republicans’ approach to health care policy is “one of many reasons” for the “Blue Wave.” 

“There was a common thing last night, and that is people all over this country are rejecting Trumpism,” Sanders said, referencing major Democratic wins across the country, particularly Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral victory.

“I think that there are a lot of reasons for Democrats’ success last night in New York and elsewhere – that was one of the reasons,” Sanders added. “And I think what people want is that the Democrats stand up and continue to fight,” for the extension of the enhanced Obamacare Tax Credit.

That tax credit has been Democrats’ key demand of congressional Republicans during the past 36 days of failed shutdown negotiations. 

In order to meet the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, at least seven non-Republican senators need to support the House-backed Continuing Resolution that would reopen and temporarily fund the government.

Only three non-Republican senators have so far lent support, resulting in 14 failed votes on the CR’s passage. 

The election results have only strengthened Democratic leaders’ resolve, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., calling on Republicans and Trump to “sit down with us and negotiate the health care crisis.”

“That’s the way to end the shutdown, plain and simple,” Schumer said. “This is just a battle; we have a long war to fight. But the war we’re fighting, the electorate supports.”

Republican leaders have already offered to guarantee a vote on extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which were meant to be a temporary COVID-19 policy and are set to expire Dec. 31. 

Democrats, however, say a simple vote is not enough; they want guarantees that a bill will pass both chambers and Trump will sign it into law.

“[T]here has to be a commitment that the Speaker of the House is on board,” Sanders said. “Bottom line is, we need to be successful in protecting the health care of the American people, and if it’s just a piece of legislation that passes the Senate…so what, where does it go? Then it just becomes a meaningless gesture.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., however, has no intention to make such a promise. He told reporters Wednesday that he hopes Democrats “will come to their senses and help us reopen the government” now that the election is over.

“There’s no prize for the milestone we’ve hit today,” Johnson said, referring to the record length of the shutdown. “No one wins in a government shutdown. We pray that Democrats wake up to that truth very soon.”

He also dismissed the idea that the election results are an indicator of most Americans’ opinions, pointing out that the major Democratic wins occurred in blue states.

“What happened last night was, blue states and blue cities voted blue. We all saw that coming, and no one should read too much into last night’s election results,” he said. “I don't think the loss last night was any reflection about Republicans at all.”