Copyright The New York Times
The last time Obamacare was at the center of a federal shutdown, with lawmakers seeking to use the leverage of a government funding deadline to get their way on the health insurance program, it did not end well for them. It was 2013, and conservative Republicans in the House and Senate pushed their leaders to block legislation to extend government spending unless it also repealed the Affordable Care Act. The result was a 16-day shutdown that produced no changes to the sweeping law. While some of the characters are the same, the dynamic of today’s shutdown is the complete opposite. This time, it is Democrats using their leverage to try to fortify Obamacare by extending tax credits for rising premiums, while Republicans assail them for the hardships mounting from the cutoff of government services. The 2013 case ended as a debacle for Republicans as they tried and failed to kill President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement while Democrats controlled the Senate. It was never going to happen. Whether Democrats can be more successful this time around facing off against Republicans who have long targeted Obamacare remains to be seen. But trying to force policy changes through shutdown politics has not been fruitful in the past. “We shut down the government for 35 days to build the wall, and it didn’t get the wall built,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, ruefully recalling an unsuccessful shutdown that began at the end of 2018 and went on to become the longest-ever government closure, a distinction that could be lost next week. “We tried to repeal Obamacare by shutting down the government. Shutting down the government to get a policy never works for anybody.” Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
