Editorial: Federal shutdown showed Americans what each party values

The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press Editorial Board, The Virginian-Pilot on Nov 20, 2025

Published in Op Eds

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For more than 40 days, an impasse among members of Congress and President Donald Trump over funding the federal government left millions of Americans in limbo. That ended last week when eight senators — seven Democrats and one independent — voted with 52 Republicans on another continuing resolution, this one lasting until Jan. 31, to restart federal operations.

What some on the left have condemned as a capitulation was instead an acknowledgment of the pain inflicted by the shutdown and an effort to reframe the parameters of debate. Importantly, it ends the uncertainty for millions of Americans who struggled to make ends meet as Congress dithered.

While the defectors’ gambit may not be successful — and chances are high that it will fail — the shutdown illuminated the targeted cruelty of the Trump administration and Republicans’ desire to dismantle services and programs helping the most vulnerable Americans. The two parties’ starkly different views of governance couldn’t be made clearer.

In mid-September, the Republican-led U.S. House had made a decision. It passed what House Speaker Mike Johnson imprecisely termed a “clean” continuing resolution and promptly adjourned the chamber, forcing the U.S. Senate to accept or reject federal funding on the House’s terms.

The Senate rejected that bill and a competing bill advanced by House Democrats, with neither measure reaching the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. The inability to reach agreement — and a refusal by Republicans to negotiate a bill that could earn Democratic votes — set the stage for the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Though Republicans control the House, Senate and White House, they framed Democrats as responsible for the impasse, falsely claiming that the minority party shut down the government to provide health care benefits to illegal immigrants. The Trump administration went so far as to (illegally) put that partisan lie atop the websites of all executive agencies.

Democrats argued that the expiration of tax credits associated with the Affordable Care Act necessitated a legislative fight. The expansion of those tax benefits during the COVID pandemic provided essential coverage for millions of families throughout that crisis; its elimination would leave that same population without affordable access to care.

That was a minor but important point in the larger opposition to Trump administration actions and the disastrous effects of the Republican spending bill passed during the summer.

The so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act will drive up health care prices and slash funding for social safety net programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which help vulnerable, elderly and needy families — all to extend lucrative tax benefits that accrue to the richest Americans.

At the same time, Democrats were right to be wary of negotiating with President Donald Trump’s White House, which has repeatedly shown itself to be an untrustworthy partner in such discussions. The administration faces numerous lawsuits for firing federal workers, withholding federal funds appropriated by Congress and generally acting as if the executive branch, rather than the legislative, is empowered by the U.S. Constitution to make spending decisions.

The longer the shutdown dragged on, the more Trump and his administration squeezed. They accelerated federal layoffs, which have been challenged in the courts. They (again, illegally) used private funds and money from other sources to meet the military payroll. And they appealed to the Supreme Court in a bid to ensure that hungry Americans were denied their monthly SNAP benefits.

Ultimately, Democrats buckled, including Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who was among the defectors voting to reopen the government last week. While that ensures funding flows again to federal workers, service members and needy families, the shutdown made clear what each party values and the lengths each is willing to go in service to those ends.

Americans, even those who backed the Democrats’ approach, should be relieved that Washington is open again. And they should remember how this played out — especially when they flock to the polls next year.