The Washington Post editorial board blasted Senate Democrats on Wednesday for “holding the government hostage” in a month-long shutdown aimed at forcing an extension of costly Obamacare subsidies.
The board is warning that the Democrats’ obstruction could soon leave millions of Americans without food assistance.
“The right answer is to reopen the government with a clean funding bill, ideally for a full year, to get food stamps flowing and federal workers back in the office, and then have a debate about ACA subsidies,” the Post editorial said.
“Democrats openly acknowledge that they refuse to do this because it would mean giving up their leverage.
“If they persist, it could mean families start to go hungry.”
The rare rebuke from the left-leaning outlet underscores growing frustration over the Democrat-led government shutdown, now entering its fifth week.
Yet, the party continues to block a clean funding bill in pursuit of expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies.
SNAP Funding Set to Expire
The Post editorial cited a weekend memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) warning that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, better known as food stamps, would run out by November 1 without congressional action.
While the USDA maintains an emergency contingency fund of about $5 billion, officials said the funds are not “legally available” for use during the shutdown.
The Post warned that the expiration of food assistance could mark a political “pain point” for Democrats who have largely avoided backlash as the shutdown’s effects have remained limited.
“Most Americans have felt no discernible impact on their daily life,” the editorial said.
“That’s starting to change.”
Pressure Mounts as Political Calculus Shifts
According to the Post, several factors could soon force Democrats to end their standoff, including the looming cutoff of SNAP benefits, the start of open enrollment for Obamacare, and a series of upcoming off-year elections that could shift public perception.
“Many people will experience sticker shock when they see how much their premiums are about to go up,” the editorial noted.
“Democrats will be able to claim they got their point across about the need to rescue Obamacare by extending subsidies that are set to expire.”
The paper added that Democrats are “favored to win most” of next week’s elections, including possible gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as a New York City mayoral race, which could allow party leaders to “save face” while backing down from the shutdown.
“Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are both New Yorkers who fear the Mamdani wing of the party,” the outlet said.
“Schumer has allowed the shutdown to drag on because he’s worried about fending off a primary challenger in 2028.”
Federal Workers Turning Against Democrats
Even federal employee unions, long reliable allies of the Democratic Party, are now losing patience.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents more than 800,000 federal workers, called for an immediate end to the shutdown.
“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said Monday.
“No half measures, and no gamesmanship.
“Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”
Post: Democrats “Wrong” to Use Shutdown as Leverage
The Post concluded by urging lawmakers to separate partisan disputes from basic governance and reopen the government immediately.
“Keeping the government open should be separated from policy disputes about how to spend taxpayer money,” the editorial board wrote.
“It is wrong that Democrats have held the government hostage for a month in hopes of extending costly Obamacare subsidies, just as it was for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to shut down the government in 2013 for 16 days in a bid to defund the Affordable Care Act altogether.”
The Post’s condemnation marks a striking departure from its usual alignment with Democrat leadership, highlighting the growing pressure on Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to abandon their political brinkmanship as SNAP benefits dry up and public frustration mounts.
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