A month ago, we knew that Senate Democrats would come away with no real concessions from the government shutdown, and that it would end with a clean continuing resolution.
That was always how it was going to end. And that is exactly how it ended.
Senate Democrats could have made the same deal with Senate Republicans a month ago, who all along have offered to negotiate on health care only after the government shutdown ended, and avoided all this.
In the meantime, a token vote on the expanded Obamacare tax credits in December might not amount to much but at least it’s no longer tied to keeping the government open.
No president should be expected to talk about major legislation while the Senate minority held as hostages the more than 5 million federal employees and military who have gone more than a month without pay.
The Senate should finish its work, then the House should act and then pass the remaining appropriations bills.
There’s no reason we should be in the same situation in January but maybe that’s still up to Senate Democrats who need to decide if another tantrum won’t just result in nothing — again.
Robert Romano is the Executive Director of Americans for Limited Government.
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