Washington, D.C.

As the latest government shutdown drags on, Democrats are rushing to frame it as a Republican failure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his allies claim that because Republicans hold the House and Senate, they alone are to blame for the funding lapse. But that story is false. The reality is more complicated, and it reveals how Democrats are using procedural sabotage, policy hostage taking, and media manipulation to appear blameless. The truth is that no shutdown happens in a vacuum, and the Democrats’ hands are far from clean.

How a Government Shutdown Actually Works

To understand who is responsible, Americans need a brief history lesson. Under Article I of the Constitution, Congress holds the power of the purse, meaning both chambers must pass spending legislation, and the president must sign it. If either chamber refuses to cooperate or adds non-funding policy riders that the other side rejects, the process halts. That is how shutdowns begin.

Historically, shutdowns have required participation from both parties. The 1995 standoff under President Clinton, the 2013 shutdown under Obama, and even the 2018 shutdown during Trump’s term all followed the same pattern: one side attached ideological demands to a basic funding bill, and the other refused to yield. The current standoff follows the same script.

Democrats are not innocent bystanders. They are actively blocking clean funding bills to force unrelated policy changes. That is why the government is closed, not because Republicans “can’t govern,” but because Democrats are using the funding process to extort concessions they could not win through normal debate.

The Myth of Republican Sole Control

Schumer’s argument that “Republicans control both chambers, therefore the shutdown is their fault” misunderstands how Congress functions. A simple majority does not equal total control when the minority party refuses to cooperate. Senate rules allow the minority to filibuster, requiring 60 votes to advance most legislation. With Democrats voting as a bloc, nearly all major funding measures stall.

Even if Republicans pass bills in the House, they still need Senate approval and a presidential signature. When Democrats refuse to act or load the bill with unrelated demands, like health care subsidies or climate provisions, they share full responsibility for the shutdown. In short, having the gavel does not mean unilateral power. The minority can stop almost everything, and right now, they are.

What Democrats Are Really Doing

The heart of this shutdown is not about SNAP benefits or government paychecks. It is about Democrats using a continuing resolution (CR) to smuggle in unrelated policy changes. Instead of treating the CR as a short-term bridge to keep government open, they are demanding long-term changes to healthcare and spending laws.

At the center of this dispute are temporary COVID-era subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. These subsidies, first introduced as pandemic relief, were never meant to be permanent. Yet Democrats are demanding to extend them beyond their expiration and are refusing to fund the government until they get their way. That is political hostage taking, plain and simple.

Why the SNAP Narrative Is Misleading

Schumer’s viral post accusing Republicans of “cutting off food benefits” is false. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an entitlement program that continues to operate even during shutdowns. States have confirmed benefits are still being distributed, though administrative delays could arise if the standoff drags on.

By invoking SNAP, Democrats are using fear to stoke outrage. They are turning low-income Americans into pawns in a political blame game. The facts show that Republicans have not voted to eliminate or defund SNAP. The crisis Schumer describes exists only in partisan talking points.

Democrats’ Procedural Gamesmanship

The current impasse is not about funding. It is about procedure and power. Democrats are attempting to rewrite existing law by attaching policy riders to a continuing resolution, an act that violates the spirit of congressional order. Continuing resolutions exist to maintain operations while budgets are finalized, not to push ideological wish lists.

By refusing to pass a clean CR, Democrats are effectively holding the government hostage. They could vote today to reopen agencies and continue debate on healthcare later. Instead, they are using the shutdown as leverage, then pretending to be bystanders while Americans shoulder the consequences.

The Historical Pattern of Political Blame

Every modern shutdown has followed the same pattern. The party out of the White House blames the one in control of Congress, regardless of the facts. During the 2013 shutdown, Democrats blamed Republicans for opposing Obamacare. During the 2018 shutdown, Democrats filibustered Trump’s immigration bill and still blamed Republicans. The media repeats the same narrative cycle each time, painting Republicans as villains and Democrats as victims.

But when both chambers fail to pass a clean bill, both parties share blame. The difference today is that Democrats have perfected the art of denial. They ignite the fire, then run to the cameras to accuse their opponents of arson.

Constitutional and Moral Clarity

The Founders designed a system requiring cooperation and accountability, not partisan hostage tactics. Both chambers must agree to fund the government, but no chamber has the right to weaponize funding to force unrelated lawmaking. The present shutdown violates the intent of the Constitution’s separation of powers.

From a moral and biblical standpoint, it is dishonest leadership to manipulate the public with fear. Scripture warns that rulers who sow confusion for gain will face judgment (Proverbs 17:23). Using fear of hunger or poverty to score political points is not compassion. It is corruption.

The Path to Honesty

Ending this crisis requires honesty. Democrats must stop misrepresenting the legislative process and vote on a clean continuing resolution. Republicans must continue to present factual explanations and resist policy blackmail.

The blame does not lie with one party but with those who weaponize governance itself. Until Americans understand that holding a majority does not mean unilateral power, the cycle of blame and deceit will continue.