Democratic voters doubt the health care fight is worth a shutdown
A new poll found that less than half of Democratic voters think congressional Democrats’ health care push is worth a government shutdown. The new data was released just ahead of the fifth failed vote on a pair of bills to fund the government.
A CBS News/YouGov poll released over the weekend found only 48% of Democratic voters think what congressional Democrats are fighting for is worth a shutdown, while 24% say it’s not worth a shutdown, and 28% said they’re not sure.
Senate Democrats weigh in
Straight Arrow News asked the Senate’s top Democrat how they continue if they don’t have the support of a majority of their voters.
“The American people feel very deeply about solving this health care crisis, and every poll we have seen shows they want us to do it,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told SAN. “They feel that the Republicans are far more responsible for the shutdown than we are.”
“So look, we’re doing what we believe is right, and that is trying to protect access to health care for millions of Americans,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told SAN. “This is a righteous fight. This is the right fight for Democrats to have.”
Government funding remains at standstill
Democrats’ top priority is to extend Obamacare tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year. The credits help Americans who get their health insurance through the federal online marketplace pay their insurance premiums.
That’s where the impasse lies. Republicans want to let the tax credits expire.
“The subsidies are there because the Obamacare program is broken,” Sen. Bill Haggerty, R-Tenn., said. “The fact that it has to be subsidized at this magnitude just underscores the fact that it’s completely broken.”
Democrats also want to repeal Medicaid cuts that Republicans approved in July.
“I think what we need to do is reopen the government right now, not deal with this temper tantrum,” Haggerty told reporters.
Despite behind-the-scenes negotiations, Congress hasn’t made any measurable progress in the last week. Democrats are not dropping their demand that health care provisions be included in a temporary funding package. Republicans won’t agree to any concessions.
The post Democratic voters doubt the health care fight is worth a shutdown appeared first on Straight Arrow News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
