Lebanon OH
11-13-2025 9:39pm

What Putting Country Over Party Looks Like

Guest Columnist Warren County Resident and Published Author Bob Viney... Former executive, Fortune 50 and 500 companies; former Business Coach; Adjunct Professor, Leadership, University of Cincinnati.  From Substack. com "The Solutions Newsletter" 

(This post expresses the views and opinions of the author(s) and not necessarily that of Warren County Post management or staff.)

The 8 Democrats who voted on Monday to agree with the Republicans in the Senate to reopen the government demonstrated a greater concern for the country and citizens who are being impacted by the shutdown, even if members of their party’s base might accuse them of “caving” to the Republicans. For 40 days the Senate Democrats were united in rejecting the Republican bill to fund the government without an extension of the Affordable Health Plan subsidies that have made health insurance more affordable for about 20 million low income and disabled citizens, many of whom are veterans and children.

However, as the government shutdown continued, many other groups began to suffer financial harm. Government workers in critical roles, such as TSA and Air Traffic Controllers, were required to work full time and often overtime without pay. The 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP food assistance programs were receiving a reduced benefit or no benefit at all. Air Traffic Controllers began to call out of work to take on other jobs to supplement their income by working part time jobs. Food pantries that were helping the SNAP recipients make up for the lost food support were facing high demand, long lines, and depleted supplies. These Americans are not merely political points of leverage in a partisan debate. The majority of Democrats and their supporters in the media this week seem to be ignoring this fact. 

There was no indication that the President nor the Senate Republicans shared the concerns of Democrats for the increasing pain being inflicted on growing millions of Americans by the lengthening shutdown. Thus, it was very likely that this government shutdown could have continued for more weeks and months, with even greater harm being inflicted on more millions of Americans, especially with the year-end holidays approaching. President Trump never engaged in any discussions to lead the two parties to an agreement to reopen the government. He reportedly spent the last two weekends at lavish parties in Mar-A-Largo with wealthy friends. The party last weekend reportedly included the President of Argentina dancing and celebrating the $40 Million bailout that President Trump provided his country without any oversight, while our own government was shutdown.

It appears these 8 Democrats saw that their duty to governing the country overall superseded the political battle between the parties. Fighting for the continuation of the Healthcare subsidies to protect about 20 million Americans from significant healthcare policy cost increases is a valid political contest. But when a political fight begins to cause significant harm and disruption to millions of other Americans and to the country overall, then political concerns should yield to governing responsibilities. 

The party officials, loyalists and supporters who are denouncing this choice by those 8 Democrats are abdicating their responsibility to govern and choosing to put partisan demands first. Democrats can’t control the decisions and actions that Republicans make. They can and should consider the decisions and actions they are choosing. After deriding the actions by Republicans who have placed partisan interests above the interests of the country overall for years, the majority of Democrats are now advocating that the party should mimic that behavior.

The majority of Democrat officials and supporters, especially in the media, have complained that the 8 Democrats “lost” the contest with Republicans and “caved” to Republican demands without gaining any concessions. The media is describing this as an indication that Democrats are “weak” and not “strong enough” to oppose Republicans and protect the party’s base interests. But it became clear that the increasing levels of harm and pain caused by the shutdown in the country overall had no effect on Republicans to change their position on these subsidies. The party leaders, including the President, would not even discuss the issue of subsidies while the government was shutdown. Many Democrats saw this impasse only through the eyes of political conflict, and viewed the vote to reopen the government as “losing leverage” in the fight to restore the subsidies. But that leverage only exists if the harm and pain of the shutdown on millions of Americans was affecting Republican leaders. And it was evident that in reality, no such leverage existed. 

Many Democrats and supporters have stated the belief that the election results of last week gave them “political credit” to continue opposing the Republican cuts to Healthcare subsidies. It seems they are ignoring the fact that the election results, as positive as they were, did not change a single seat in either the House or the Congress. Democrats are still in the minority and cannot prevent one-party policies from being enacted by Republicans. In order to change the governing approach in Congress, Democrats need to win the majority in Congress. Democrats need to focus on winning the 2026 Midterm elections, which they are more likely to achieve by demonstrating to voters that they will govern the country overall, and will not mimic the Republican governing approach of putting partisan interests above the interests of the country overall.

The Democrats who vote to open the government are not “caving” on their opposition to the cuts in Healthcare subsidies. They are demonstrating their commitment to the governing principle of putting country over party. Democrats should continue to stand for restoring the subsidies and a governing approach that will put the country’s overall interests above the limited partisan interests of their base voters and donors. Voters are rejecting the one-party governing approach by Republicans, and that change is what voters will choose in 2026. They will not vote to change one-party Republican governing for one-party Democrat governing. Those who are angry that Healthcare subsidies aren’t being restored, and as a result, that Healthcare premiums will rise, should direct their anger to the Republican majority, and continue to oppose this and other actions in frequent public protests, while focusing on working together to change the majority in Congress in the 2026 elections.

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