This is an adapted excerpt from the Oct. 1 episode of “Morning Joe.”
On Wednesday, the federal government shut down for the first time in nearly seven years, after the Senate rejected the House’s Republican-drafted stopgap spending bill. Millions of federal employees are set to lose their paychecks, and even more Americans will lose access to government services.
Donald Trump, JD Vance and Republican leaders in Congress have all falsely claimed that Democrats are shutting down the government over demands for benefits for undocumented immigrants. Senate Republicans’ official X account accused Democrats of holding the government “hostage” to “give illegal aliens free healthcare.”
Under Trump, it seems Republicans have gotten very comfortable with lying. Democrats aren’t shutting down the government to fund free health care for people who are here illegally. In fact, undocumented immigrants are already barred from participating in federally funded health care programs.
The real reason Democrats are drawing a line in the sand is to protect the 22 million Americans who depend on federal subsidies to make health insurance more affordable. Without congressional action, the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats are refusing to sign on to a funding deal that doesn’t include extending those subsidies.
That’s what this is about: preventing millions of Americans from having to pay more for health insurance.
Politically, it’s hard to tell how this is all going to come out in the wash, but it is a good sign for the Democrats that Republicans feel like they need to lie to the American people about the real reason behind this shutdown.
Democrats are in a strong position here. Republicans control the House, but they can’t get a funding bill across the finish line without support from across the aisle. Democrats in the Senate must stay united behind Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and stay clean on the messaging: Democrats are trying to help the American people, while Republicans are trying to lie to them.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
