The Media’s Reluctance to Call the Ball
Blue Press Journal – When the federal government shutters its doors, the implications are never merely bureaucratic; they represent a fundamental failure of leadership and a profound dereliction of duty. The recent government shutdown, precipitated by budget impasses, was not the result of mutual stubbornness or shared political dysfunction. Let us be unequivocal: This crisis was the direct consequence of the Trump administration’s and the Republican majority’s refusal to engage in genuine bipartisan negotiation.
The narrative often spun in the aftermath attempts to create a false equivalency—a practice often called “sameism”—implying that both sides were equally culpable. This is a white wash, and it obscures a critical truth: The Republicans, led by President Trump, refused to even have a conversation with Democrats regarding the specific terms of the bill. They insisted on a take-it-or-leave-it approach that is antithetical to the responsibilities of governing in a divided body.
The Danger of Unilateral Legislation
The reason the Democratic minority stood firm against accepting this one-sided legislation lies not in ideological spite, but in sober analysis of its inevitable economic and social fallout. The core objection was rooted in the damage the proposed bill—which contained specific measures related to healthcare funding and market regulation—would inflict upon millions of Americans.
The Democratic caucus recognized that the proposed changes would inevitably trigger a sharp increase in insurance premiums for millions of working families and, furthermore, would cause countless others to entirely lose the coverage they currently rely on.
This is not conjecture; it is the predictable outcome of dismantling crucial pillars of the existing health infrastructure without providing viable, stable alternatives. When one party attempts to utilize the threat of a government shutdown to ram through legislation that fundamentally harms the public, assigning blame must be clear.
As former President Barack Obama once observed regarding the duty of dialogue:
‘We cannot afford to have a political system where the only way you get things done is a shutdown. That’s a fundamental breakdown of how our democracy is supposed to work.’
The breakdown here was not a failure to compromise, but a refusal to negotiate in good faith in the first place.
The Media’s Reluctance to Call the Ball
Perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of this political standoff has been the corresponding failure in much of the mainstream media to report the facts without resorting to false balance. Media entities fear appearing partisan, and so they often default to the safe position of criticizing “both sides.”
This reluctance to assign clear governmental responsibility does a disservice to the public. Whether it’s national news outlets or local talk shows—like those found in places such as Syracuse, New York (Balancing Act with John Katko) —many refuse to acknowledge that when one party holds the power to prevent a crisis but chooses instead to leverage that power for unilateral legislative gain, the blame rests squarely with them. They are attempting to “play nice” with Republicans instead of fulfilling the primary journalistic duty: telling the truth about power.
When journalists apply “sameism” to cover a crisis, they effectively insulate the powerful from accountability.
Consequences Are Coming
The consequences of this approach are not abstract. They are built into the policy choices that resulted from this period of non-negotiation.
We are entering a phase where the effects of Republican-led policy decisions on the healthcare market will become starkly real for everyday Americans. Next year, as deductibles increase and premiums climb—a direct result of these legislative maneuvers—voters will see with painful clarity the truth that the Democrats warned about.
The refusal to compromise, fueled by a desire to enact one-sided legislation, has ensured that healthcare costs will rise. The legislative actions taken, or forced through during this period of crisis, will shift financial burdens onto families who can least afford them.
As policymakers across the spectrum have warned about the risks of destabilizing mechanisms meant to protect vulnerable populations:
‘There is an inherent cruelty in policy that forces people to choose between necessary medical care and keeping their family financially afloat.’
The historical record must not be sanitized. The federal government shutdown was an act of political force driven by a refusal to negotiate, and its lasting legacy will be felt not in Washington, but in the higher insurance bills arriving in mailboxes across America. Accountability must follow.
Blue Press Journal 