AL Dem journalist states the Republicans are to blame.

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If you have ever been guilty of believing that “both sides” in American politics are bad or the same or equally to blame for something awful, the current government shutdown – and the causes behind and the threats contained within it – should put that nonsense to rest for good. 

The two sides are not the same. 

Whatever flaws the Democrats may have – and believe me, I have lost my mind and a fair amount of sleep considering those flaws and how to correct them – they are not the party that has threatened to starve poor people in order to more quickly take away even more poor people’s health care. 

That’s the Republicans. 

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No matter how they spin it. No matter what talking points they use. No matter how many times they try to vilify immigrants. The simple facts are the same. 

The shutdown is happening because Democrats are trying to stop millions of people – mostly poor and working class people – from either losing their health care coverage altogether or from facing skyrocketing price increases. Increases that could see the costs double or triple on struggling families. 

That’s the impasse. 

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There’s nothing else. It’s not more complicated. There are no secret provisions. 

Republicans are trying to gut health care subsidies that make insurance coverage somewhat affordable for working families in order to pay for the massive tax breaks – tax breaks that still added more than $3 trillion to the national debt, by the way – that primarily benefit the wealthy and significantly increase taxes on the poor. 

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In that setting, Democrats are trying to protect the one thing they believe to be most important, and at least preserve a chance that you and your kids can afford to go to a doctor when you’re sick. 

And Republicans are fighting tooth and nail against it. Fighting tooth and nail to be able to deliver those tax breaks to their elite campaign donors. 

Up until Monday, all of them were willing to use hungry children to win. 

The Trump administration told states on Friday that it will not be sending federal funds to pay for food stamps programs starting Nov. 1. They know full well what that means. In Alabama alone, some 750,000 people – most of them in families with kids – will go hungry. 

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