Seven Senate Democrats and an independent—none up for re-election—voted with Republicans to stop the shutdown and pass legislation ending extensions for Affordable Care Act subsidies. Twenty-two million Americans will have to find a way to pay doubled or tripled premiums, or lose healthcare entirely.
The ripple effect could mean 339,100 jobs lost, decreased state GDPs, and strained hospitals. In exchange, Democrats secured back pay for furloughed workers (which was already the law), rehired government workers (same), and a promise of a December vote on the ACA extensions.
They’re cleaning up the shutdown’s mess, but not making our lives any better. For us, this is lose-lose: we can starve, or lose our healthcare and die. Not one Black Democrat voted for this “compromise,” even those in vulnerable seats
The impact of the shutdown has been racialized, from demonizing SNAP recipients to firing federal workers who are disproportionately Black women. And coupled with the anti-Black damage of the Republican party is the Democratic Party’s horrendous treatment of Black voters.
Constantly criticized and shamed, taken for granted, pandered to, then abandoned, sacrificed, and outright oppressed, Black voters didn’t decide to shut down the government, or starve, or lose healthcare. Those decisions were callously made for and without us—and neither Congress nor the White House will lift a finger to save us.