Despite hunger, Dems must stand firm on health care in shutdown standoff | Editorial

The second-longest federal government shutdown in history is about to get worse, especially for the most vulnerable Americans.

On Nov. 1, nearly 17,000 Tri-Cities households will lose food assistance they need to feed their families because Republicans and Democrats remain at loggerheads.

Even people with food in their bellies will start to see the impacts on the community. Alas, the alternative is even worse.

Gov. Bob Ferguson announced that Washington will provide $2.2 million per week to bolster food banks. That will require diverting funds from other budgeted state programs and cannot continue indefinitely in our cash-strapped state.

When the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) runs out of money this weekend, the pain will be immediate and gut-wrenching. Single parents working minimum-wage jobs, elderly residents on fixed incomes, disabled adults and furloughed federal workers will turn to emergency food assistance only to find that food pantry cupboards are bare.

Local food banks, already struggling under federal funding changes, cannot accommodate the surge.

This is a manufactured crisis. Fundamentally, it is rooted in Congress’ inability to pass a budget on time. Instead, lawmakers rely on gimmicks and temporary funding bills called “continuing resolutions” to keep the federal government open.

But this time, Democrats want something in return for their votes, which are required to meet the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. They want Congress to renew enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.

If subsidies end, health insurance costs will skyrocket for millions of Americans. Middle-class families already struggling with inflation cannot afford to see their premiums more than double.

Senate Republicans say they are willing to address health care later if Democrats vote to reopen the government now.

Democrats have been burned by such promises before. Their votes on the continuing resolution are their only leverage to secure affordable health care for millions. If they pass a continuing resolution without an ironclad guarantee, they take a huge gamble.

The House of Representatives is missing in action. House Speaker Mike Johnson has had the chamber on vacation since the shutdown started, refusing to seek compromise.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is wandering around Asia. There’s certainly work to do across the Pacific Ocean mending relations after Trump launched trade wars, but reopening the government here should be his top priority.

If he were actively engaged in negotiations with Democrats and Republicans, he might break the congressional deadlock. A public commitment from the White House to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies would go a long way. Trump is hardly known for honesty, but he does love a deal and being the winner who fixes a problem.

The fact that Democrats are holding out for something important does not make losing food assistance easier. Nor will federal employees and contractors feel much better as they go weeks without paychecks.

Many of the 18,000 federal workers and contractors in the Tri-Cities area have been furloughed or are not being paid. More could join them soon as the Hanford nuclear site might institute furloughs. That loss of income ripples harmfully across the region’s economy.

It’s not as if Republicans care much about the pain that reduced food assistance causes. Earlier this year, the Republican-controlled Congress cut SNAP by an estimated $186 billion and imposed new work requirements that could push 2.4 million people out of the program.

Now, with shameless hypocrisy, Republicans accuse Democrats of weaponizing hunger in the shutdown.

Republicans have such disregard for America’s hungry residents that the Trump administration recently canceled the longstanding annual food insecurity survey. That research, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provided critical data for tracking hunger in America and shaping policy responses.

Democrats, then, must stand firm. They cannot surrender on health care access to end one crisis if it creates an even larger disaster in January.

Yes, families are going hungry, federal workers are unpaid, and countless other effects are wearing on the public and the economy. But all should remember that this is a situation brought to a head by congressional Republicans unwilling to negotiate to pass a funding bill.

In the meantime, as this national tragedy drags on, readers can help by volunteering at or donating to the Tri-Cities Food Bank. The food bank accepts contributions and non-perishable food at locations in Kennewick, Richland and Benton City. Pasco residents can support St. Vincent De Paul’s food bank.