Transcript:WASHINGTON . Democrats are “not going to cave” and approve a Republican funding measure to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month because “the whole health care system is going to be under attack,” a senior Florida congresswoman said, adding that lives were at stake. On Friday morning, House Republicans passed a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open past Sept. 30. It failed to pass the Senate the same day.“Look, nobody really wants to have a shutdown, but we're not just going to cave,” said Lois Frankel , Democrat from Florida, a former mayor of West Palm Beach turned seven-term member of Congress. She was talking as both sides of the U. S. Capitol headed towards a week’s break for Rosh Hashanah, with no solution to the shutdown stand-off inLast time government funding came to a crunch, in March, Democrats did cave, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , Democrat from New York corralling enough votes to pass a Republican measure. Schumer and other senior Democrats say that won’t happen this time. House Democrats are angry Republicans cut them out of negotiations over the CR, which would keep the government open until Oct. 31. The GOP measure therefore does not address Democratic concerns prominently including the impending lapse of tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, through which millions of Americans are able to access affordable health insurance.“I think for most of us, the ACA, the running out of the tax credit is going to be a calamity,” Frankel told Raw Story. “The premiums are expected to rise about 75 percent and there's 24 million people on the ACA.”This week, the Congressional Budget Office said extending the ACA tax credits would let 3.8 million more people access health insurance by 2035. It also said doing so would cost 350 billion dollars. In a statement, Schumer said the CBO report showed it was “beyond time for Republicans to come to the negotiating table and work with Democrats to find a solution to this upcoming catastrophe.”Speaking to Raw Story, Frankel cited cuts to Medicaid contained in the GOP “One Big Beautiful Bill” budget that passed earlier this year but is not yet in effect, saying: “The whole health care system is going to be under attack.”“They want to kill Obamacare,” Raw Story said.“Or kill the people, I don’t know,” Frankel said in reply. Another veteran Democratic representative, Mike Thompson of California, told Raw Story, “Trump and Republicans aren't interested in helping people get the health care that they need and deserve.“I think the health care thing is people’s top priority and I don't think we should take a knee to this guy. He's come out and instructed Republicans. It's just crazy.” Asked if constituents back in California had told him not to work with Trump’s Republican party, Thompson, 74, said: “Well, I think there's folks who express those concerns.”Blame gameAny shutdown swiftly becomes a blame game as much as an endurance test, the longer federal employees go without pay and members of the public go without vital services. Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress but they think a shutdown will work in their favor, Democrats attracting more blame. It’s set to be a key test before the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats desperately need to take back at least one chamber of Congress, if they are to press the brakes on Trump’s agenda. Representative Ralph Norman , Republican from South Carolina, a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, told Raw Story he wasn’t overly concerned about Republicans taking all the blame for a shutdown.“I'm not worried, we're doing our job,” he said. “I don't like a CR, but it's the way to go. I’m sure we’ll get some blame. Comes with the territory.”Raw Story asked: “Would your base like a shutdown?”“I don't think so,” said Norman, 72. “There's all the good things going on.”In March, Democratic leaders explained their climbdown by saying they worried Trump would fill the vacuum of a shutdown, moving to seize yet more power for himself and attack federal government functions. Asked if Trump would move aggressively if a shutdown happens this month, Norman said: “Oh, yeah … the only thing we can do is what we’re doing.”Another Republican, Representative Brandon Gill , Republican from Texas, said it was “kind of ridiculous” for Democrats “to shut the government down in order to try and force some kind of weird policy wins here. “They're irresponsible. So I think that the CR play makes a ton of sense.”Raw Story asked if Gill, 31, was worried Republicans would attract any blame for a shutdown. No, he said, “Because it's not our fault. We'll do our job and then expect the Democrats to do their job.”When Congress returns from its week-long break, a shutdown will be just two days away.Our Analysis:The Real Story Behind the Shutdown StandoffIn the labyrinth of U. S. politics, the specter of a government shutdown looms large, pitting Democrats against Republicans in a high-stakes blame game. The narrative, as presented, suggests a standoff with Democrats refusing to approve a Republican funding measure due to concerns over healthcare policy. Let's dissect the power dynamics, decision-making, and framing of this narrative to expose the systemic fault lines.Who Holds the Power?At the heart of this dispute is the control of institutional power. Republicans hold the White House and both chambers of Congress, positioning them as the primary architects of the current legislative agenda. This majority control places them in a pivotal position to shape funding measures and policy directions, notably those affecting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid.Decision-Makers and OutcomesThe decision to push a continuing resolution (CR) that fails to address Democratic healthcare concerns was made by House Republicans. This CR, designed to keep the government operational past September 30, sidesteps critical issues like the extension of ACA tax credits. The Democrats' refusal to support this measure stems from substantive policy disagreements, notably the potential spike in healthcare premiums and cuts to Medicaid.In contrast, the narrative of Democrats leading towards a shutdown over "weird policy wins," as Representative Brandon Gill , Republican from Texas suggests, frames the issue as a partisan whim rather than a deep-seated policy dispute with significant implications for millions of Americans. This misrepresents the Democrats' stance as obstructionist, ignoring the fact that their opposition is rooted in concerns over healthcare access and affordability.Framing and MisdirectionThe article hints at a potential misdirection of responsibility. While it mentions Republican control of the federal government, it simultaneously positions Democrats as the catalysts for a shutdown by refusing to "cave" to a GOP-led funding measure. This framing overlooks the Republicans' capability and responsibility to negotiate a bipartisan solution that addresses key concerns on both sides, especially given their majority status.Moreover, the portrayal of the situation as a "blame game" detracts from the substantive policy issues at stake, notably the future of the ACA and healthcare access for millions of Americans. The focus on blame over policy discussions serves to obscure the real impacts of a government shutdown and the underlying legislative disagreements.ConclusionIn the showdown over government funding, the article frames Democrats as the stubborn holdouts, risking a shutdown to defend healthcare policies. However, a closer examination reveals that Republicans, wielding majority control, bear significant responsibility for the impasse. Their decision to exclude Democratic concerns in the CR and to pursue measures that would undermine the ACA and Medicaid shifts the onus onto them to seek a bipartisan resolution.The narrative that Democrats are risking a shutdown for "weird policy wins" is a misleading simplification of a complex policy debate. The real story is not about partisan stubbornness but about fundamental differences in healthcare policy priorities and the responsibilities of those in power to negotiate solutions that avert a shutdown while protecting vital public services and healthcare access. The framing of the situation as a mere "blame game" obscures the substantive policy concerns at the heart of this standoff.s

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