A lot of Democrats are upset with the eight Democratic senators who voted to re-open the government. They believe they “caved” on health insurance premium assistance for the needy. But let’s face it. Congressional Republicans, not to mention Trump, would never have gone along with healthcare premium assistance. The only thing they want to do with the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also called “Obamacare”) is repeal it. Unfortunately they have nothing with which to replace it.

Republicans have proven that they simply do not care about the needy. They have consistently voted against help for children, the elderly and the poor. They voted to repeal the ACA over 50 times, so voting to keep premiums affordable would definitely be against their nature. But it goes beyond health insurance.

The shutdown created severe problems, probably the most familiar being the cutoff of SNAP (food stamps) benefits. Nearly 42 million people rely on SNAP. The Trump administration decided that they would do nothing to ensure that people got help with food. In fact, when the courts told Trump that he had to fund SNAP with “rainy day money”, he refused and started to appeal the decision. Funds that supported food banks and Meals on Wheels had already been cut. No option was put forth by Republicans to help those who needed food. And this was happening in November, the month when Americans traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving, the day to give thanks. Not to mix my holiday metaphors, but Ebeneezer Scrooge would have been right at home in the Trump administration.

Food insecurity wasn’t the only negative effect of the shutdown. Since TSA employees and air traffic controllers weren’t being paid, many of them had to find alternative work to support their families. When they called off from their non-paying government jobs, it caused a disruption in flight schedules, not to mention danger from having overworked staff guiding planes for takeoffs and landings. Trump’s solution was to notify air traffic controllers that he would remember who they were, so they better come to work or else. Again the Thanksgiving holiday is the busiest time of year for air travel by Americans, but Republicans were content with letting it play out. Again Trump and his staff didn’t care. They were flying on government planes. That included FBI Director Kash Patel flying to Tennessee to visit his girlfriend among other personal trips. Obviously, again, Republicans didn’t care.

The longer the shutdown went on, the more damage it did to our nation and our people. It was dangerous and inhumane. People were suffering every day. Letting this continue would have only prolonged the suffering of those who could least afford it. Holding out for Republicans to grow a conscience would have been futile. I am glad it’s over. I commend those that ended it but I do not agree that we should accept the status quo forced on us by Republicans.

Honestly, I admit that I blame both parties for the shutdown. Either of them could have avoided it. But the party that was holding out for the welfare of the American people was the Democrats. Republicans were only looking at how much money they could put into their own coffers by taking it away from the needy. Democrats’ speeches about helping our citizens didn’t sway them from their selfish agenda, proving again that they simply do not care.

David Corn writes: “At first glance, it looks like a handful of Democrats wussed out and undermined what had been a united stand within their party against Trump and his GOP cult. And they did. But there may be a mammoth silver lining to this cloud…In politics, there are good losses and bad losses, and smart politicians can turn a good loss to their advantage. This shutdown showdown, regardless of its conclusion, has well positioned the Democrats, as long as they keep fighting Trump and his minions and not themselves.”

If both sides truly cared about the people, we wouldn’t have had a shutdown in the first place.

Verna Caruso is a native of Muncy, who now resides in Williamsport. She is a former staff member at Inc. magazine and former Chair of the Lycoming County Democratic Committee.