Comments on the closing ending: Nothing but surrender

The shutdown is over. This doesn’t help either party – but it’s a blow, especially to the Democratic Party. A capitulation to Trump and the Republican Party – at a powerful moment.

The Democratic Party has given up, but the Republican Party now also has a problem. The ending was just a joke. A government shutdown never produces a winner, at least no political party becomes stronger from a government shutdown. Especially if it lasts for 43 days.

43 days in which tens of thousands of federal employees did not receive paychecks and federal service providers did not receive contracts. Days where social programs were stopped, hundreds of flights were canceled because air traffic controllers no longer received money and many did not return to work. This period, which was very difficult for many people, is now over. Americans are getting normal lives back.

But are these closures doing anyone any good? No. Except problems for Republicans. And an even bigger problem for the Democratic Party. Because they have given up. Not all of them – just seven Democrats and one non-party member – are enough to break down Democratic unity in the Senate in the fight against President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Democrats in the House of Representatives, unlike in the Senate, have no chance of blocking the bill.

A compromise that is not really a compromise

Eight dissidents in the Senate have joined the Republican Party. There is talk of a political catastrophe, sad and tragic. Give up. And all that happened was: surrender. The signal: We can’t win the fight against Trump and his Republicans.

Eight votes were enough to allow a compromise, which in reality was not a compromise. And this is not much achieved by the Democratic Party. Federal employees laid off during the government shutdown will be rehired – a federal judge has previously ordered this. Federal employees on mandatory leave will receive their pay retroactively. This was common practice until recently – only Trump questioned it. It has come to the point that this will work if the applicable laws are implemented.

Choose Damage limitation

What Democrats failed to achieve was their goal during this shutdown: expanding expiring health insurance subsidies. The goal is to ensure affordable health insurance for millions of Americans.

The eight rebels had decided for themselves: That’s enough, we don’t stand a chance, now it’s time to limit the losses for America. They think about the people in their state.

An almost absurd amount of time

When it’s clear that you’re fighting a losing battle, it’s probably best to admit defeat. But the timing is almost unreasonable. Until then, the Democratic Party is in better shape than ever. You obviously won many important elections in this country last week.

Trump’s popularity ratings are declining. During the government shutdown, he chose to remodel the White House, posting pictures of redesigned bathrooms, gutting the East Wing, and playing golf on the weekends. Meanwhile queues at food banks are getting longer. According to surveys, more people blame Republicans for the government shutdown than Democrats.

It’s hard to understand why the Democratic Party would give up at this point. Voters want someone who will stand up for them. Who is against Trump. They want politicians who will fight for them. Last week’s election results demonstrated this clearly. But the Democratic Party has run out of steam. They struggled and achieved almost nothing. That’s how many voters will see it.

But Republicans now also face a problem: their refusal to extend expiring health insurance subsidies. Millions of Americans will blame them for this – rightly so.

Republicans are now under pressure to resolve the issue. Especially those who want to be re-elected. This may be the fodder Democrats need as they campaign for next year’s congressional midterm elections. But until then, they will leave the field defeated.