Shutdown politics hurt working Americans while Washington plays games

Let’s be blunt: when our federal government shuts down, it’s not a chess match the rest of us signed up for. Indeed, it’s a hit to people’s paychecks, to public safety and the fragile systems that keep communities running, safe and thriving.

No side looks good when they weaponize the budget. What we should expect from our leaders — regardless of party — is competence, not theatrics.

For most Americans, the first impressions during a shutdown are practical: airports slow down, food-safety inspections are delayed and entire pay cycles for federal employees and contractors are interrupted. Those are not abstractions. They affect real people — including the air-traffic controllers who keep planes in the sky, the nurses and healthcare workers in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and the inspectors who make sure your groceries aren’t hazardous.

‘REAL CONSEQUENCES’: FOOD AID, FLOOD INSURANCE, FEMA FUNDS IN JEOPARDY AMID SHUTDOWN, JOHNSON SAYS

This reality reached a boiling point during a recent call-in segment on C-SPAN, a military spouse’s voice cracked as she described trying to purchase medication and food for her two medically fragile children, without her husband’s desperately needed paycheck. House Speaker Mike Johnson, sitting on set, was speechless as this Virginian’s story cut through the talking points and reminded us all that behind every political standoff are real families attempting to pay rent, make car payments, purchase medicine and take care of their children. Her story and voice at this moment is a keen reminder that far too many American families can’t afford Washington’s dysfunction.

Our federal workers didn’t ask for a political fight; they asked for a government that functions.

Here is another blunt truth: fiscal responsibility matters. Taxpayers want their dollars used wisely. However, fiscal conservatism isn’t served by withholding paychecks from those who keep our communities safe and healthy. Nor is it served by passing massive handouts to the ultra-rich, while shrinking programs that protect children, the poor and low-income amongst us. The math here isn’t ideological — it’s arithmetic. Cutting nearly $900 billion from Medicaid under the guise of “work requirements” may sound fiscally austere on paper, but in practice it leaves children’s hospitals, birthing centers and low-income families facing real cuts to care.

That’s poor policy and it’s poor politics.

And let’s be honest about that “One Big Beautiful Bill.” If the intent was to make life easier for working families, it failed. Instead, too much of the bill rewarded the wealthy while everyday Americans get squeezed. The result is a country where rhetoric about protecting the middle class rings hollow while policy outcomes pad balance sheets at the top and cut support at the bottom.

This shutdown also reveals what many Americans already know: our healthcare system is brittle and bloated with costs, especially for ordinary families. When the safety net gets clipped, the consequences ripple fast — higher emergency-room use, delayed care and a heavier strain on hospitals that have little margin for error. If leaders actually cared about fiscal prudence and public safety, they’d avoid playing brinkmanship and instead focus on stabilizing coverage for vulnerable people while reforming the delivery and funding of care.

So what should happen now? First: reopen the government with an eye on protecting the healthcare of working Americans. It’s not a victory for anyone to keep vital services shuttered while negotiators posture on cable news. Second: protect the programs that serve children and our most vulnerable. Medicaid cuts that undercut pediatric care or maternal services should be off the table in any short-term deal.

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Third: our Congress should advance pragmatic reforms that unite rather than divide: targeted job-training programs for those ready to work, streamlined benefits paperwork so help goes to those who need it quickly, and accountability measures that reduce waste without denying care.

And also, let’s stop with all the misinformation. It helps no one. Despite what Republicans say, there is no proposal to give undocumented immigrants healthcare. They don’t qualify for the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid or Medicare — full stop!

Americans across the political spectrum want competent government, not political theater. Conservatives who value limited government and lower taxes should be able to demand efficiency and accountability without celebrating disruption that harms the public. Progressives who care about equity and services should demand outcomes that actually help families, not just headlines. The sensible center — where most Americans stand — wants fiscal sanity and a functioning safety net.

If leaders want credibility, they should stop making shutdowns a bargaining chip. They should instead roll up their sleeves, prioritize the lives of those who rely on the government for stability, and craft reforms that preserve care while cutting waste. Political points won’t fix a newborn’s access to a nearby NICU, a laid-off contractor’s rent bill, or a commuter’s safety at 30,000 feet.

Again, this isn’t about scoring on cable. It’s about whether we govern like adults or run our country like a reality show. The people have had enough of the latter.