Capitulation At The Capitol

Capitol Hill, where democracy has gone to die

The building and institution that once defined American Democracy.

The United States Capitol. This once-sacred place was where laws were debated, crafted, and enacted, federal spending controlled, presidential nominations confirmed, and officials impeached and removed from office when they failed to perform their designated duties in accordance with the United States Constitution. The sole purpose of today’s House and Senate, as led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, is to do the bidding of the Autocrat-in-Chief, Donald Trump. With the GOP in charge, these chambers no longer serve the American people.

And sadly, rather than fighting this existential battle over the Affordable Care Act, thirteen Democrats sided with the GOP in reopening the government, crushing any chance of saving the ACA from its inevitable death, which is likely slated for 2026. Under what circumstances did these thirteen Democrats imagine the Trump-regime GOP could be trusted and that they would leave open the final disposition of the ACA to negotiation and a vote?

Come on folks! Not gonna happen. Is there even one trustworthy thing the GOP has not done since the inception of Trump’s MAGA movement? No. No!

Stupid and short-sighted, that’s the old guard Dems — their arrogance astounding. If, in fact, it’s not too late, the Democratic Party needs to put forth younger and more passionate candidates and shepherd them through the election process. We need candidates with skin in the game, not those nearing the end of their careers. This is the fight of our lifetimes. Warriors are needed, not negotiators. Nothing else will do.

Of the Senate’s Democratic defectors, two are retiring, and five are not running for re-election. Of the House defectors, all are in tight 2026 races and clearly kissing the asses of the Republican voters in their districts. Does this make their behavior excusable or even understandable? No. Every one of these Democrats is a coward and has weakened the party at a time when we are not just fighting over political differences, WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR DEMOCRACY. These defectors are enemies within our ranks. Now we know who they are.

But all of this is a bit too late, isn’t it? We should have been fighting tooth and nail for the ACA and to restore all SNAP benefits, including the $186 billion cut from the program earlier this year. The government shutdown was the only leverage we had in saving these incredibly impactful programs. These defectors took away what little power the Democratic Party had, and now an untold number of people will suffer the consequences.

Nancy Pelosi would have known exactly how to handle this situation. She would have reigned in the defectors before they did irreparable damage — to the American people, the party, and to themselves. As Frank Bruni put it in his morning segment with Bret Stephens in regards to the Congressional Democrats’ recent shenanigans: “They exceeded my expectations when it comes to their talent for self-injury.” Where is the party’s leadership?

Of note: Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA), who is by far the party’s most vulnerable incumbent in 2026, voted against advancing the bill, as did all the Democratic senators who are considering White House runs in 2028. These folks managed to do the right thing. Cudos to them all.

Senator Tim Kaine, a defector, had this to say: “This deal guarantees a vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which Republicans weren’t willing to do. Lawmakers know their constituents expect them to vote for it, and if they don’t, they could very well be replaced at the ballot box by someone who will.” Yeah, right, Tim.

So, let’s pull this apart for him, shall we? There is no guarantee whatsoever that there will be a vote in December to extend the ACA, and even if the Senate were to take a vote, Mike Johnson has not agreed to bring it to the floor of the House. Not verbally, not in writing. And the question had been put to him numerous times leading up to yesterday’s vote. Each time, he evaded giving an answer.

The chance of Johnson bringing a vote on the ACA to the House in mid-December and right before Christmas — a bill the Republicans have tried to repeal dozens of times: ZERO.

The six Democrats in the House who joined ranks with their Republican colleagues to reopen the government yesterday did so without even a promise of a vote on the Affordable Care Act and in defiance of the people on their own side of the aisle.

Does this disunity smack of what was happening in Germany prior to Hitler assuming absolute power over Germany and becoming its Führer? It does! Like the GOP has done with Democrats, the Nazis took full advantage of the disunity between the Social Democrats and the Communist Centre Party, who, combined, wielded significantly more power than the Nazis and who were united in their desire to defeat them. Instead of collaborating, however, these parties chose to follow the tedious rules and regulations of the Weimar Republic, imagining they could control Hitler through the courts. Guess what? This strategy failed miserably. Sound familiar?

Note to self (and Democrats): There is no negotiating or compromising with malignant narcissists and sociopaths, or with their cult members followers. Tim Kaine and his buddies need to get up to speed, both on world history and psychology. And the Dems need to find a leader who is better at orienteering. We are in uncharted territory.

Guaranteed: the ACA subsidy is GONE. And you can blame that on these individuals:

Senator Tim Kaine of VA
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of NV
Senator Maggie Hassan of NH
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of NH
Senator Jacky Rosen of NV
Senator Dick Durbin of IL
Senator John Fetterman of PA
and
Representative Jared Golden of MA
Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of WA
Representative Adam Gray of CA
Representative Don Davis of NC
Representative Henry Cuellar of TX
Representative Tom Suozzi of NY
and
Sen. Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader, Senate
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader, House

So, in January, when your premiums double or triple, be sure to let these people know how much you appreciate their contribution toward reopening the government without a single concession from the GOP. Share with them the details of your medical mystery tour through a healthcare system that no longer has any guardrails.

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As usual, Colbert provided the best summary of what has transpired and what lies ahead:

YouTube commentator @NotSure1969 notes: “They say laughter is the best medicine. Soon, it’ll be the only medicine we can afford.”