San Mateo County Democrats vote no on ending shutdown

Now, the House’s slim Republican majority has passed that bill as well, sending it to President Donald Trump, who signed it Wednesday night.

Senate Democrats had originally chosen not to pass the continuing resolution needed to fund basic governmental function, which requires a filibuster-proof 60-40 majority in the Senate that Republicans do hold. They were hoping to force concessions on health care subsidies and appeal to their base, which has become increasingly frustrated with what many deem inadequate levels of opposition to the Trump administration. 

Senate Democrats who voted to reopen government without promises for health care funding cited the mounting human toll, including withheld food assistance benefits and increasing delays in air travel. 

But many in the Democratic party, including U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, and U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San Jose, expressed frustration with the fact that the deal provides no gains on Affordable Care Act subsidies and cut Democratic momentum off at the knees. 

“The reality is there is a huge hole in this so-called deal,” Mullin said. “This bill does absolutely nothing, nothing, about extending the affordable care tax credits families that are on Covered California in my district and across the state, across this country.” 

Roughly 20 million families across the U.S. will see their health care premiums double or even triple as a result of Republican refusal to negotiate, Mullin warned. He emphasized that Republicans are at fault for that decision, and by extension, at fault for the shutdown. 

Mullin also dismissed commitments made in the Senate that in exchange for reopening the government, health care subsidies will be brought to the floor for a vote. Even if it is, there’s no guarantee the House would vote on such legislation.

“This handshake deal amounts to nothing. In the Senate, there’s no guarantee that the tax credit piece would be brought for a vote,” he said. “Our Speaker Mike Johnson pretty much said as much, that he doesn’t expect the House to take up anything.” 

Liccardo is also a no vote on the bill, he said in a statement. 

“I learned long ago as mayor: never waste a crisis. Congress just wasted one,” his statement read. “The proposed continuing resolution will kick the can down the road to Jan. 31, when we will face another shutdown-showdown-shitshow.” 

He emphasized bipartisan legislation, introduced by himself and colleagues across the aisle, to extend ACA tax credits for two years. The proposed bill would pay for the subsidies by fixing payment formulas for Medicare Advantage, capping eligibility requirements — while still protecting working-class recipients, per a Nov. 10 press release — and cracking down on insurance fraud as a potential solution. 

“I will vote ‘no,’ but I offer a better, bipartisan solution,” he said in the statement. “I came to Congress to solve problems, not to kick the can down the road.” 

That legislation has shown no movement in the House thus far. 

Despite Democratic failures to obtain concessions on the health care issue, Mullin said he’s hopeful that Americans will see Republicans at fault for the problem’s impetus and vote against them in upcoming midterms. 

“They have no intention of doing anything meaningful on this issue, and people are going to wake up to this new reality,” he said. “I do believe they’re going to hold majority Republicans accountable for what is to come once the New Year arrives.”