Schumer has lost some of his former glory. His grip on power is cracking.
And now Chuck Schumer was ruthlessly attacked after he made this boneheaded move.
Schumer’s Shutdown Video Draws Ire
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced widespread criticism for his handling of the government shutdown, especially over a slickly produced video he shared Monday.
“We will not let Republicans blow up our health care system,” Schumer declared in the clip. “No f***ing way.”
The video toned down the profanity but doubled down on Democrats’ core rationale for prolonging the closure: Obamacare’s enhanced tax credits face expiration without approval of their funding measure.
That claim ignited more backlash than the senator’s expletive.
“Once again, Chuck Schumer is lying and hopes you just take his word for it,” Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) replied to Schumer’s post. “The expiration date of these tax credits was set in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which Democrats passed without a single Republican vote. The sensible forms Republicans made to sustain the program did not cut Medicaid, and he knows this.”
“Looking for someone to blame for the health care crisis Americans are facing? Look in the mirror,” the Republican added.
Schumer’s fellow New Yorker, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, branded the minority leader the “biggest schmuck in Washington.”
“50 years in elected office! Go the f**k home. It’s time,” he posted. “Open the government and get back to work. And if the ACA is working so well, why do we need COVID subsidies to make it affordable? Maybe it’s time to fix the system.”
Expert Critique of Obamacare Subsidies
Brian Blase, a former White House policy aide and president of the Paragon Health Institute, whose experts have dissected the program extensively, argued the tax credits ought to lapse.
“Obamacare is the reason for high premiums in the individual market and why they are increasing. Not a single Republican voted for the COVID-era Obamacare subsidy add-ons that Democrats set to expire after 2025,” Blase told The Daily Wire. “Any Democrats are misleading the public and claiming that all the Obamacare subsidies are expiring. That is not true. The original subsidies are permanent and cover more than 80 percent of the premium for the typical enrollee.”
“The original subsidies have gotten more generous over time. In 2014, they covered about 68 percent of the typical enrollees’ premiums. Next year, after the COVID credits expire, they will cover more than 80 percent,” Blase continued.
Cracks in Democratic Ranks
While most Democrats rallied behind Schumer’s push to prolong the Obamacare tax credits, some voiced frustration with the shutdown strategy.
“It’s a sad day for our nation. Our government shuts down at midnight. I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) wrote on September 30, just before the shutdown. “My vote was [for] our country over my party.”
Schumer’s office offered no response to a comment request.
