Why Is the Government Shut Down?

As requested by a reader, I'm going to briefly discuss why the government is shut down, and add my own observations.

The STATED reason the government is shut down is that Democrats oppose cuts to Obamacare and Medicaid.  Republicans claim that illegal aliens use these programs to receive free healthcare on the taxpayer's dime, though I have been unable to locate a single credible instance that corroborates this allegation.

I will say that federal law requires hospitals with emergency departments to provide essential medical care to all patients, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.  (This is called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, also known as EMTALA.)  In certain circumstances, hospitals could receive reimbursement through Emergency Medicaid for the costs of care provided to people who would be eligible for Medicaid if they weren't illegal immigrants.

From my perspective, the policy above is reasonable, because it's unfair to require a business to provide a service to any and all, without any expectation of reimbursement.  Furthermore, in true emergency, seconds can mean the difference between life and death.  Let me clarify: On one hand, the hospital takes the time to determine the immigration status of an ER patient before rendering life-saving aid.  That additional time will inevitably cost the lives of Americans.  On the other hand, the hospital provides life-sustaining assistance to everyone, yet the government will only reimburse the cost for Americans.  This choice puts the hospitals in a no-win situation.  I agree that Emergency Medicaid is the least offensive way out.  While it is theoretically true that illegal immigrants receive some amount medical aid on the taxpayers' dime, I suspect the rate is relatively low, and it's certainly less offensive than letting low-income Americans fall through the cracks.

If I were forced to pick a side in this dispute, I would stand with the Democrats, because I generally believe that human life is worth more than money.  (That's a very simplistic statement worthy of a separate post discussing the cost of healthcare, but it's adequate for my point in this article.)  I would choose to stand with the Democrats here because the Republicans have had over ten years to refine Obamacare and Medicaid, and they have produced no realistic plan, other than to say 'Obamacare Bad' and attempt to repeal it.  Realistically though, both parties suck!  They've had over a decade to behave like adults, but consistently choose to act like spoiled little children.  And THAT -- their entitled, selfish, uncompromising action -- is the reason the government is shut down.  And as I said in an earlier post, that behavior is a reflection the American public.  WE collectively elect partisan shills who place party over people.  In other words, it's OUR fault the government is shut down, because we keep electing representatives who refuse to compromise.