Why are Democrats holding the government hostage?

A few months ago, in March, the leader of the Senate Democrats, Chuck Schumer, decided to join the Republicans by voting for a clean continuing resolution, just like the one on the table today, and avoiding a government shutdown. Why has Schumer now changed his mind? The sad answer is that the Democratic leader is under pressure from the most extreme wing of his party and has made a personal decision.

When Schumer decided to vote with Republicans earlier this year, he said that while he did not support President Donald Trump's actions, he knew that a government shutdown would only hurt Americans. "Allowing Donald Trump to take even more power through a government shutdown is a far worse option," the Democrat said to explain his vote in front of the most radical in his party. However, he was not spared. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez strongly attacked Schumer and accused him of not standing up to Republicans.

Democrats claim this is all about fighting for Americans' health care. They demand indefinite extension of massive subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and reverse modest cuts to Medicaid, ignoring the program's out-of-control spending and chronic inefficiency. In essence, they are conditioning the reopening of government on the permanent expansion of costly policies that do not solve the structural problems of the health care system.

Republicans insist that Medicaid subsidies should be targeted exclusively to those who truly need them, not to young people of productive age who simply choose not to work. In addition, the Republican Party recognizes that the country faces a health care crisis, and has reiterated its commitment to address it, but in a responsible manner. Pushing for ideological concessions, such as those demanded by Democrats in the midst of this shutdown, is not the right way to go.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly emphasized that key budget discussions must occur within the regular framework of appropriations bills. In the meantime, he argues, the urgent thing is to reopen the government and then do the substantive discussions the right way.

“Just to see Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing to Elon Musk, I think it is a huge slap in the face, and I think that there is a wide sense of betrayal," Alexandria Ocasio Cortez said in March, criticizing Schumer. In recent months there have been several reports claiming that the representative would be planning to challenge Schumer in 2028 and keep the leadership in the Senate.

Schumer has been serving as a senator for more than 20 years, he knows perfectly well how the processes work and that the party that has won the elections must have the ability to move forward the agenda for which Americans chose him. What he is doing right now is bribing by using the government shutdown to get concessions. Just as he did in March, the right thing to do would be to vote for the clean continuing resolution, open the government, and if he has qualms about health care, negotiate them the right way through appropriations bills.

Schumer has caved to pressure and challenges from radicals in his party, however, his blackmail will not work. Republicans have already made it clear that they are not going to accept outlandish requests and that the way forward is to reopen the government and then get the process right. While Schumer appears to plan to keep the government shutdown going for weeks, it is possible that some moderate Democratic senators, with more compromise than their leader, will in a few days vote with the Republicans as they feel the pressure from their constituents who are affected by Schumer's shutdown.

The midterm elections are just a short time away, and Democrats will see the result of their strategy there.