Government shutdown is a reversal from most previous fights: Byron York
The article discusses the 2025 U.S. government shutdown, highlighting a significant shift from previous shutdowns. Byron York, chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner, notes that unlike past shutdowns where Republicans pushed policy demands, this shutdown features Democrats allowing certain policies, such as Obamacare subsidies, to expire without renewal. York agrees wiht commentators that the White House holds strong leverage and is effectively managing its messaging during the shutdown standoff.
York points out that the current dispute centers mainly on the expiration of Obamacare subsidies,which are set to end on December 31,making the immediate urgency less pressing compared to typical shutdown deadlines. He also addresses claims that Democrats are trying to fund healthcare for illegal immigrants within the budget, explaining the distinction between legal noncitizens and illegal immigrants and Republican opposition based on immigration policies relating to border enforcement and parole.
the shutdown marks a reversal in which Democrats, rather than republicans, are seen as responsible for delaying government reopening, creating a unique and complex political standoff.
Current government shutdown is a reversal from most previous fights: Byron York
Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York said the 2025 government shutdown is a “complete reversal” from previous ones because most shutdown fights in the past had Republicans pushing for some policy, not Democrats.
York agreed with Fox News’s America’s Newsroom anchors that the White House has a lot of leverage to “stick it” to Democrats and is being smart in its messaging through the shutdown fight.
“This is a complete reversal from most shutdown fights we have had in the past,” York said, “when Republicans were pushing some policy priority and threatening to close down the government if they didn’t get what they want, the government shuts down, and Democrats are saying, ‘It’s their fault. All we Democrats want to do is open the government.’”
“Well, now, you have the Trump administration making that exact same argument,” York added. “It’s a really effective argument when people don’t want the government to be shut down.”
York said this shutdown fight is “weird” in the sense that Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), are explaining the shutdown entirely in terms of Obamacare subsidies.
York highlighted that the Obamacare subsidies are set to expire on Dec. 31 and that every single Democrat in the House and Senate voted to allow these subsidies to expire on this date. He said addressing the subsidies is not an emergent issue right now.
“The other thing is, when you have a lot of pressure going in Congress, and a crisis atmosphere, it’s because the deadline is in that 24 hours, or tonight the government will shut down,” York said. “In this case, these subsidies are set to expire Dec. 31. It is early October. There is actually not that sense of emergency behind this dispute.”
York also discussed the claim that Democrats are trying to include healthcare funding for illegal immigrants in the bill.
“We do know that even at the time of the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ the CBO, Congressional Budget Office, estimated that a large number of noncitizens would lose their Medicaid coverage,” York said.
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York explained that the difference between noncitizens and illegal immigrants is that “one is here legally and the other, not.”
“Clearly, that’s going to apply to some of them, because also, the Republicans point out that during the rush over the border of the Biden years, the Biden administration just basically waved millions of people in, gave them what’s called parole, with no basis at all,” York said. “The Republicans argue they should not have that parole and they should not have these benefits.”
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