The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.
Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson and GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson agree on opposing all negotiations to end the shutdown. Senator Johnson said: “Why are we even entertaining the conversation?” And, Speaker Johnson said: “We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history … .” Johnson and Johnson are in sync with Trump, who initiated the longest shutdown in his first administration.
After one canceled meeting Trump held a perfunctory meeting with Democratic leaders just before the shutdown. There have been no negotiations. Instead, the GOP-led House has adjourned (for 3 weeks, still getting paid) while GOP Senate leaders also refuse to negotiate. Worse, the White House has violated federal law by mass firings of federal workers and threats of no back pay for the hundreds of thousands of others locked out. Moreover, Trump has illegally blocked congressionally authorized federal spending, mostly in Democratic-led states, including Wisconsin.
Democrats are confronting an imperial president who wants to destroy the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “Republicans have tried more than 70 times over the past 15 years to weaken or kill Obamacare (ACA). But their campaign keeps backfiring. … As the partial government shutdown stretches into another week, the White House and a growing number of congressional Republicans are worried that Democrats’ demand to boost Obamacare as part of any bill to reopen the government is proving salient with voters — including their own” (Washington Post).
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The ACA covers over 24 million, including 313,579 Wisconsinites, with private health insurance, made affordable by expiring tax credits due to be greatly reduced as renewals begin November 1. Another 21 million are covered by ACA Medicaid expansion. Unlike Eisenhower who accepted Social Security, Trump and most congressional Republicans have never stopped trying to repeal or weaken the ACA, even to their own detriment.
“Fifty-seven percent of people with this type of insurance (ACA private health insurance) live in Republican congressional districts” (NYT). As the tax credits became more generous, enrollment soared in Wisconsin by 60 percent in mostly GOP-led rural congressional districts. Nationally, “27 percent of farmers, ranchers and agricultural managers” are covered (Kaiser Family Foundation – KFF). The others enrolled are small business owners and their employees, the self-employed and workers not covered by their employers. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of veterans are also covered by ACA private health insurance.
The KFF reports that 78 percent of Americans support extending the expiring ACA tax credits. And, GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio said his polling indicated: “There is broad bipartisan support for the tax credits and their extension.” He said failure to do so will lead to a big Republican loss in the midterms. Moreover, Georgia GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said: “I’m absolutely disgusted that (ACA) health insurance premiums will double if the tax credits expire this year” (KFF said out-of-pocket premiums will increase by over 75 percent).
Trump and congressional Republicans must listen to Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin: negotiate to extend the expiring ACA tax credits, stop GOP punitive actions and end the shutdown.
– Kaplan wrote a guest column from Washington, D.C., for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1995 – 2009.
