'We lose that argument': GOP cracks begin to show as shutdown looms

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Raw Story

September 29, 2025 3:04PM ET


Republicans are starting to falter on the hardline stance about the government shutdown, according to a House GOP conference call on Monday. While Republicans hold the majority in the House, Senate and White House, they don't have enough votes to pass an increase in the debt ceiling. It means they'll need support from Democrats. However, Democrats don't want to help Republicans raise the debt ceiling unless they bring back the healthcare subsidies for those utilizing the Affordable Care Act.

NBC News Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona wrote on X that Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) "walked members through polling and advised them not to make the message about healthcare, because Republicans lose that argument." She encouraged them to discuss the economics of a shutdown, thinking that the GOP has the upper hand and a winning message on that topic.

However, Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) confessed she thinks staying out of Washington isn't the right move. She wants to see them return to Congress sooner than next week so they "can better message and hammer Democrats on the airwaves," added Zanona.

Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson noted that McClain is correct, noting the group Unring Our Economy has ads running "in 14 Republican districts about MAGA's health care shutdown. They are threatening a gov't shutdown unless they can take away health care. After already cutting Medicaid and raising tariffs."

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/republicans-shutdown/

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Link to Unring Our Economy - https://unrigoureconomy.com/

Link to Unring Our Economy PRESS RELEASE - Unrig Our Economy Launches New Ads Calling Out Congressional Republicans for Threatening to Raise Health Care Costs & Shut Down the Government (includes links to the 14 ads that are now playing similar to the above)

[taxi]

1. Mum's the word. nt

[speak easy]

2. ???

The debt limit was raised up the ying-yang in the BigUglyBill.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. They "technically" didn't "raise it". They included budget gimmicks like using the "current baseline" to "mask it".

I think that, plus carve-outs for the "always 'concerneds'", was the only way to get a majority to sign on to it. And in order to even comply with the smoke and mirrors "raise", they can't add back the Medicaid cuts or ACA subsidy extension.

[ancianita]

4. THIS. Unrig Our Economy new ads! This is how we dominate messaging!

Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson noted that McClain is correct, noting the group Unring Our Economy has ads running "in 14 Republican districts about MAGA's health care shutdown. They are threatening a gov't shutdown unless they can take away health care. After already cutting Medicaid and raising tariffs."

[onenote]

5. This is not a "debt ceiling" dispute. It's a dispute over spending bills. They are different things. Typical Raw Story

I don't understand why DU allows Raw Story to be posted as "Latest Breaking News" when they constantly get things wrong.

[DBoon]

6. and they repackage news already posted elsewhere

Why not use the original source?

[reACTIONary]

8. Exactly! The one excuse might be...

.... a paywall on the original source. But you can usually find some paywall free source other than rawstory.

[reACTIONary]

7. About to post the same observation....

.... and ask the same question.

[prodigitalson]

9. Has this ever worked for them?

This goes back to the days of Newt Gingrich and has become a GOP tradition.