Letter to the Editor: Republicans are in control, but Democrats at fault for shutdown

Dear editor:

The news media usually claims that Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House, so the government shutdown must be their fault.  Your article in the October 9 issue made clear that the Republicans don’t control the Senate, but it left a few things unsaid.

The Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year are not the regular subsidies we had before. Those will still be in effect.  The ones expiring are the extended subsidies which were enacted by the Biden administration and the Democrats in Congress as a response to the COVID pandemic.  The Democrats set them to expire Dec. 31, 2025, when they enacted the law. They were intended to provide immediate relief due to the pandemic, rather than long-term policy change. They were too expensive long term. They provided EXTRA Obamacare subsidies to citizens who have incomes up to half a million dollars per year. The Senate Democrats’ Continuing Resolution makes those subsidies permanent and also extends them to millions of non-citizens who were granted parole or granted Temporary Protected Status by President Biden. There was little or no vetting. It was, “come one, come all.”  

Normally, parole is granted on a case-by-case basis, not as a blanket amnesty to all who apply.  A president doesn’t go into a prison and declare, “Ok, all of you are on parole!”  “Guards! Open the gates!”

The Democrats’ proposed $1.5 trillion CR is partially paid for by repealing $50 billion in subsidies for rural hospitals.  

The extended subsidies are only a fraction of the cost.  Much of it would go to pork projects such as money for left-wing news organizations, for DEI and LGBT projects in foreign countries, for attorneys to defend criminals, HOV lanes for electric vehicles, climate, energy and science programs, security for lawmakers, funds for the office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, for pastry cooking classes and dance focus groups for male prostitutes in Haiti, electric buses in Rwanda, media organizations for the Palestinians, a pride parade in Lesotho, social media mentorship in Serbia, circumcision and sterilization programs in Zambia ... the list is too long for this letter. 

When the House of Representatives passed their Continuing Resolution, they thought it would take seven weeks to finish the regular appropriation process, so they set their CR to expire in seven weeks.  The Senate Democrats’ counter CR is only for four weeks, so if it passes, we can have another shutdown next month.

Neva Freiermuth

Greybull