The government shutdown is over. Consensus among the political chattering class is that the Democrats caved. I disagree.
Let’s review…
For years Democrats have been pushing for a comprehensive immigration reform bill only to be rebuffed by the Republican majority. The closest they came to passing immigration reform was in 2013, when after months of debate the senate passed a bi-partisan immigration bill with 68 votes. The bill moved to the House where under pressure from the Tea Party, Republican leadership refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
Frustrated by the lack of progress in congress to pass meaningful immigration reform legislation, President Barak Obama issued an executive order on June 12, 2012 which provided temporary protection from deportation for individuals who had entered the country illegally as minors; a controversial decision deemed by conservatives to be an unconstitutional abuse of power.
The executive order remained the law of the land until September 7, 2017 when President Trump overturned the order and gave congress a deadline of March 2018 to resolve the issue. 800,000 “DREAMERS” currently face deportation should congress fail to act.
Renewing DACA protections for “DREAMERS” is supported by 87% of the country. Congress could have easily passed a bi-partisan stand alone bill. Instead Republican leadership decided to use these 800,000 young lives as bargaining chips in what they knew come January would be a rancorous debate over funding the government. A heartless political play that left the fate “DREAMERS” twisting in the wind.
But congressional Republicans weren’t finished using the lives of young people as bargaining chips.
The Children’s’ Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides health care for 9 million children of dependent families. Funding for the program expired on September 30, 2017. Congress could have immediately put a bill on the floor to continue the funding that would have easily received bi-partisan support for this widely popular program. . Instead, Republicans decided to add the lives of 9 million CHIP recipients to their bargaining chips in the upcoming government funding debate. A move that can only be described as evil.
As the funding deadline loomed the House passed a bill to keep the government opened that included renewing the CHIP program but made no mention of DACA. Fed up with Republican efforts to use the lives of children for political gain the Democrats said “No” and shut down the government. Three days later a compromise was reached and the government reopened.
Was it worth it. I would argue “yes.”
For the first time in a long time Democrats stood up for their values. In return the CHIP program is now fully funded for the next 6 years and Majority Leader McConnell is on record as promising that a fair debate and vote on DACA will occur by no later than February 8. The vote on DACA never occurs without Dems forcing a shutdown.
Perhaps even more important is that as a result of the shutdown a dozen moderate Republicans joined a dozen moderate Democrats in voicing their unwillingness to continue down the partisan obstructionist path that has plagued Washington for the past 10 years. A clear message to Leader McConnell that if he fails to keep his word…which he has failed to do before…these 12 moderates will join with Democrats to make his life a political hell.
The strength of this kum by ya moment will be tested. Even if the senate passes an immigration bill there is still the House Freedom Caucus and their anti-immigration bent to deal with.
That said…thanks to Democrats finding their spines if not their souls….for the first time in a very, very, very long time a large group of Democrats and Republicans came together to say “YES” to the American people and “No” to partisan, business as usual obstruction.
That is a very big deal. That is why Democrats won. Not just for themselves…but for the country.
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