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Democrat Shutdown Perfidy

A Shutdown Born of Perfidy and Powerlessness

Democrat Perfidy on Health Care Funding for Illegal Aliens

As the clock struck midnight on October 1, 2025, the United States government ground to a halt, not due to necessity, but due to the perfidious obstinacy of Senate Democrats led by Chuck Schumer. This shutdown, a spectacle of political self-sabotage, centers on a grotesque insistence on funding health care for illegal aliens-a policy choice that epitomizes Democrat hypocrisy and a complete lack of leverage in the face of a resurgent Republican majority. Meanwhile, federal spending has ballooned 54% since 2019 without delivering commensurate value, underscoring the urgent need for another round of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to “DOGE the site from orbit,” as Ellen Ripley might have put it in Aliens, ensuring no trace of bureaucratic bloat remains.

The Democrat Continuing Resolution (CR) proposal, introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Patty Murray, brazenly seeks to repeal key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), specifically targeting Subtitle B of Title VII. This section, enacted on July 4, 2025, reduced the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for emergency Medicaid services for illegal aliens from 90% to state rates, saving $11 billion over 10 years and disenrolling approximately 1.4 million individuals. It also imposed work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs), saving an additional $325.6 billion by reducing enrollment by 3.5-4 million. These reforms were not cuts but efficiencies, yet Democrats label them as such, a mendacious sleight of hand to justify their insistence on restoring pre-OBBBA access.

Ro Khanna’s appearance on Fox Business, defending this stance by claiming the funding for illegal aliens is “such a small portion” of Medicaid and ACA resources, is a textbook example of Democrat perfidy. Khanna claims it rarely happens, but the principle behind it-using taxpayer dollars to subsidize health care for those not legally entitled to it-remains a moral and fiscal outrage. This is not about compassion; it’s about political pandering, ignoring the 65% of Americans (per NYT/Siena) who oppose a Democrat-led shutdown and the 59% of independents (Marist) who reject such chaos. The Democrat base, already fractured at 47% support, feels the pain of furloughs (750,000 workers) and service lapses (e.g., VA delays), yet Schumer persists, betting on a hand of deuces against a Republican trifecta.

Complete Lack of Leverage: The Michael Corleone Quote

Schumer’s position is one of utter powerlessness, a fact epitomized by President Trump’s response, which echoes Michael Corleone’s icy dismissal in The Godfather Part II: “My offer is this: nothing. Not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up personally.” Trump’s refusal to budge on the GOP’s clean CR (H.R. 5371, passed 217-212 in the House, blocked 55-45 in the Senate) is a masterclass in leverage, enforced by Russ Vought’s unblinking execution of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Vought’s memo, demanding agencies plan for reductions in force (RIFs) by November 21, signals no bluff-12% of federal redundancies (240,000 positions) have already been cut since July, saving $30 billion.

Democrats, with only 47 Senate seats, lack the votes to pass their alternative CR (defeated 47-53), and their filibuster strategy collapses against a GOP majority. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) lawsuit against Vought’s workforce plans, filed yesterday, is a desperate gambit that will likely fail, given Trump v. NTEU (2020) precedent and the current judicial climate favoring executive discretion. Schumer’s floor speech, dismissing a poll as “biased” amid GOP laughter, underscores his diminished stature. The shutdown’s pain-first paychecks delayed on October 3-will force a cave by week’s end, yielding nothing, as Trump’s Corleone-esque stance demands. Democrats’ leverage is not just weak; it’s nonexistent.

Massive Increase in Federal Spending Since COVID: No Value Delivered

Since 2019, federal outlays have surged 54%, from $4.45 trillion to an estimated $6.87 trillion in FY2025, driven by COVID-19 relief and subsequent spending on Social Security, health care, and debt interest. Yet, ask yourself: is your life 54% better? Are government services 54% better? The answer, obviously, is no. Gallup’s Well-Being Index remains stagnant at 6.9/10, with 41% reporting financial stress, unchanged from 2019. The World Bank’s Government Effectiveness Index rates the U.S. lower at 1.62/2.5, down from 1.67, despite $2.42 trillion more spent annually. VA backlogs are up 15%, rural hospitals face closure (338 at risk), and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) lapses during shutdowns, leaving citizens vulnerable.

This disconnect is not accidental but systemic. The federal workforce has grown 8% to 2.1 million, costing $450 billion in salaries-up 40% from $321 billion in 2019. Discretionary spending rose 28% ($1.8T to $2.3T), with $50 billion in improper payments annually. Regulatory costs ballooned to $2.1 trillion (up 22%), stifling GDP growth at 2.8% versus a pre-COVID potential of 4%. Productivity lags at 1.2%, despite the spending spree. Democrats’ insistence on reversing OBBBA’s efficiencies-adding $336 billion for work rule repeal and $11 billion for FMAP restoration-exacerbates this, funding a bureaucracy that delivers no value, a perfidious betrayal of fiscal responsibility.

The Need for Another Round of DOGE: “DOGE the Site from Orbit”

The first round of DOGE, under Vought and Elon Musk, cut 12% of federal redundancies, saving $30 billion, but this is merely a start. The site must be “DOGED from orbit,” as Ellen Ripley might say in Aliens, to ensure no trace of bureaucratic bloat remains. A second round, targeting a 20-30% cut (372,000-558,000 jobs), could save $200-300 billion annually, aligning spending with 2019 levels adjusted for inflation (~$5.2T). Deregulation-rolling back $500 billion in EPA and SEC rules-could boost GDP by 1-2%, per Moody’s estimates. This is not just feasible but necessary, given the 54% spending increase without proportional gains.

Vought’s no-bluff style, proven in 2018-19 ($45 billion saved) and 2020 ($135 billion), ensures execution. The shutdown provides leverage-furloughs and RIFs pressure Democrats to cave, yielding a clean CR by October 3-4, with no health care reversals. Trump’s “energetic executive” era, backed by a 6-3 Supreme Court, will greenlight this purge. Public sentiment and Senate GOP support (Thune’s conference) signal momentum. The NTEU’s lawsuit is a sideshow; the real action is Vought’s memo demanding plans by November 21, a deadline Democrats cannot withstand.

Conclusion

Democrats’ perfidy on funding health care for illegal aliens, their complete lack of leverage in the shutdown, the massive increase in federal spending since COVID without delivering value, and the urgent need for another round of DOGE to “DOGE the site from orbit” paint a picture of a party out of touch with reality. Schumer’s Corleone-esque defeat is inevitable, and Vought’s cuts will restore fiscal discipline, ensuring that the American people, not the bureaucracy, benefit from their tax dollars. The site must be cleansed, and DOGE is the only tool for the job.

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James K. Bishop

James K. Bishop is a conservative writer and raconteur hailing from Texas, known for his incisive and often provocative takes on political and cultural issues. With a staunch commitment to originalist constitutional principles, he emphasizes limited government, individual liberties, and traditional American values. Active on X under the handle @James_K_Bishop, he frequently engages his audience with sharp critiques of progressive policies, media narratives, and overreaches by the federal government. His style is direct, often laced with humor and wit, which resonates strongly with his conservative followers.