Remember when you were a kid and you waited until the last minute to do your homework assignments? How did that work out? Was the teacher to blame for your procrastination? Maybe the teacher was to blame for the shoddy work you handed in at the last minute? I don’t think so. How about when you waited until the last moment to prepare that presentation for your boss? I bet that postponement of the meeting by your boss didn’t reflect well on your performance review.

Now apply those ideas to our federal government. The Congress passed a budget resolution on July 2nd. They knew the assignment – pass appropriations bills by September 30th, or the government would lack the authorization to spend its revenue. The government would “shut down”. Well not really – post office still operates, interest payments on debt are still being paid, Congress still keeps going (and gets paid), entitlement payments are still made – largely, the government still keeps going but a slew of workers and armed forces don’t get paid but have to work.

And what would it take to pass appropriation bills? Well in the House, it just takes a majority vote – they control the docket, the committees, and the majority (albeit by a slim margin). So how many appropriation bills have they passed? One. They have sent one bill appropriation bill (Defense authorization) to the Senate. Have they been working hard to get the work done? Well, in three months (since they passed the budget) the House has convened to work a total of 20 times. How many days in the past three monthw did you have to work? I’m betting that it was more than 20 times. Did they improve the average American’s life in that time? Nope.

How about the Senate? They need 60 votes to pass a bill in the Senate. The Republican leadership knows this. Yet how many days did they work during the past 3 months? Twenty three (23). Barely a month’s worth of work in three months time. They didn’t even begin to negotiate with the Democrats until a week out from the deadline. And the President didn’t agree to meet to make a deal until two days prior to the shutdown deadline – and failed to offer anything to get the votes he needs.

What do the Democrats demand in return for their votes? Restoration of funding for subsidies for health insurance policies purchased under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? Why? Because the Republican plan will result in health insurance premiums more than doubling for the average person, and quadrupling for some at the higher income levels. Unlike the Medicaid cuts that received so much attention when the “Big Beautiful Bill” was passed, these cuts will have an immediate impact in January 2026 (as opposed to Medicaid cuts that were pushed out until after the 2026 elections).

Would the Republicans be in trouble with their constituency if they agreed to the Democrat’s plan? Just the opposite – Republican voters agree with the extension of subsidies by wide margins. And so does everyone else. But expect the elected Republicans in Congress to continue their intransigence. Because it is apparent that they are in radical opposition to middle income families being able to pay their bills.

This is a quote from what some have called a great American – “A government shutdown falls on the President’s lack of leadership. I mean problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top. A shutdown means the President is WEAK!” That American – Donald J Trump. How many shutdowns have happened during Trump’s terms? This is the third.

Had Congress desired a different outcome, they would have worked in July and August to get it done. Twenty three days? Who is going to keep these do-nothing employees? Who’s shutdown is this? It is owned the Republican leadership in Congress and the White House.

And the national disgrace continues…