Democrats’ Refusal to Accept Responsibility
One major frustration for many Republicans is the way Democrats seem to dodge accountability for their significant failings. Instead of owning up, they often attribute the consequences of their actions to the GOP.
It’s not just annoying when someone hits you over the head with a skillet—what truly grates is when they then shout, “Stop hitting yourself!”
That’s kind of how it feels with Democrats these days.
Just last week, they declined to acknowledge their own role in what’s being called the Schumer Shutdown. Fortunately, this 43-day impasse ended when the Republican-controlled House moved to reopen the government shortly after a handful of Senate Democrats joined with almost all Republicans to overcome a filibuster.
Before the House vote, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries made his case on the floor, showcasing some impressive skills in deflecting responsibility.
He claimed, “Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the presidency. Donald Trump and Republicans made the decision to shut the government down, the longest shutdown in American history.”
This is simply incorrect.
Back on September 19, House Republicans passed a straightforward continuing resolution aimed at maintaining federal spending levels until January 30. There were no added conditions or cuts.
This proposal went to the Senate, where, as Jeffries undoubtedly realizes, overcoming a filibuster requires 60 votes—and Republicans have only 53.
Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer effectively exploited this requirement and initiated the filibuster that led to the shutdown on October 1.
Senate Republicans made multiple attempts—fourteen to be exact—to end the filibuster, but even with three Democrats siding with them, they still couldn’t reach that 60-vote threshold needed to allow the government to continue operating while Democrats sought funding related to immigration issues.
Jeffries is aware of these facts, yet he still deflected blame onto the Republicans.
He insisted that House Democrats would persist in tackling the health care crisis, which he claims was created by the GOP. Ironically, a significant source of America’s health insurance woes can be traced back to their own creation: Obamacare, which has not delivered on its promise to lower premiums. Instead, costs have risen even more.
The program has become a financial burden that necessitates continuous taxpayer support to avoid collapse. It’s tough for Democrats to pin this one on the Republicans, given that not a single GOP lawmaker supported it.
Jeffries accused Republicans of not extending tax credits tied to the Affordable Care Act, but once again, that’s not on the GOP. Those credits are set to expire because that was the plan all along, and it was the Democrats who structured it that way.
Experts have noted that recent legislation aimed to temporarily extend these subsidies, but if Democrats truly wanted to sustain this support, they should have included that in the bills they sponsored, rather than shifting blame later.
A wise saying goes, “When you point a finger at someone, three fingers point back at you.” Perhaps Jeffries and his peers should reflect on that before once again directing their finger at Republicans.
