Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Schumer hopes to make the shutdown a 2026 issue. Good luck with that.

Going into the second week of the government shutdown, Democrats are emboldened.

Even though they have not been able to get an extension of the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, that they want, they have shifted the conversation to health care.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has held press conferences three days in a row while he rebuffs Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ overtures to debate on the House floor. And after being accused of fecklessness and impotence for much of the year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seems willing to play hardball with Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

“When Johnson has to say, ‘We need to fix health care,’ you know he's under some duress,” Schumer told reporters during a gaggle with reporters Wednesday.

Even MAGA firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said the House needs to come up with a plan before premiums double if the tax credits are not extended.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) also threw down the gauntlet and challenged Republicans to take up any deal the Senate would strike to extend the subsidies and said Republicans would pay a price.

“It's an off-year election, the economy is not getting better, and now you're going to be known as being obstructionist to the point where premiums increase,” Gallego told The Independent. “If you want to be that Republican that walks down the plank for Johnson? Good luck.”

Democrats think they have a winning issue that could boost them next year. But, to borrow from Ted Lasso, the American public has the memory of a goldfish. Just look at history. 

Read more here.

By Eric Garcia

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Daily briefing

Trump calls for Illinois governor and Chicago mayor to be jailed

Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson both said they would not step down or stop fighting Trump’s efforts to send federal law enforcement to Chicago, Ariana Baio writes.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

I could do this all day.

House Speaker Mike Johnson channeling Captain America listing off all the effects of a government shutdown in states with Democratic senators.

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