Democrats Hold the Senate and Nation Hostage
Many are concerned about the current government shutdown, and understandably so. It’s affecting everything from federal paychecks to travel services to SNAP benefits. Right now, Republicans hold a slim Senate majority with 53 seats, while Democrats hold 45. Two seats belong to Independents, and there’s one vacancy after J.D. Vance resigned to become Vice President under President Donald Trump.
Politics can get messy fast, so let’s break it down as simply as possible. The Senate is a strange place. You’ve probably heard the term “filibuster.” If not, it’s a long-standing strategy where senators talk—and talk, and talk some more—to delay action on controversial legislation. This tactic dates all the way back to the very first session of the U.S. Senate.
According to Senate history, Pennsylvania Senator William Maclay once wrote in his diary that the “design of the Virginians… was to talk away the time, so that we could not get the bill passed.” Translation: they were running out the clock.
As filibusters became more common in the 19th century, the Senate still had no formal way to stop them. Fast forward to 1917, and senators finally adopted a method called “cloture,” basically, a way to cut off debate. At the time, it required a two-thirds vote. In 1975, that threshold dropped to 60 votes out of 100.
So, how does this connect to today’s government shutdown?
Even though Republicans have 53 members, they need 60 votes to end debate and pass a continuing resolution to reopen the government. That means they need seven Democrats or Independents to cross the aisle.
Here’s the short version in plain English:
· The Constitution says you need a simple majority (51 votes) to pass a bill.
· But Senate says you can’t vote until debate ends.
· Then the Senate says debate doesn’t end until 60 members agree it’s over.
In other words: welcome to the Senate, where “majority rule” takes a back seat to “let’s keep talking.”
Now, some ask,
why won’t Republicans just compromise for the so-called greater good?
Because that “greater good” currently includes a $200 billion spending package that covers healthcare for illegal immigrants and other non-citizens.
That’s not good stewardship of taxpayer money. Democrats are leveraging Senate rules to hold the federal government hostage, demanding benefits for people who aren’t even citizens. Meanwhile, American taxpayers are feeling the pain, through unpaid federal workers, flight delays, and limited emergency services.
Sure, both parties share some blame. But yelling at the Senate to “just get along” oversimplifies the issue. Historically, that phrase has meant Republicans surrendering to Democratic spending and moral demands. This time, that would mean funding $200 billion in taxpayer-subsidized healthcare for those in the country illegally.
On the surface, it might look like Republicans are at fault; they do hold the majority, after all. But as we’ve seen, the math isn’t that simple.
Republicans aren’t perfect, far from it, but in this case, they’re standing firm to prevent a misuse of public funds while still working to get the government back on track. Democrats should be working with the republicans to help Americans, not people who have no stake in the future of America.
We also must remember that this battle is not just political, but at the root of it all, it is spiritual.
There are those in government who are operating by a spirit that is in opposition to God. One way to discern that is to look at what the parties are doing—what policies are they advocating for—and see if those policies align with the Bible.
The principle at stake here is stewardship: using resources wisely and justly. Romans 13 reminds us that government is meant to be “God’s servant for your good.” In this moment, that good means holding the line, protecting your hard-earned tax dollars from being spent on what is neither fair nor lawful.