PolPerTalkingPointsMatrix-Shutdown_11-1-2025.pdf

This presentation was created to support the Shutdown Month 2 article in the Talking Points Matrix section of the Political Perspectives substack. It will later be used to support a video of the same name on the Political Perspectives YouTube channel.

Political Perspectives is a publication provided by the Semantech Inc. Media Group.

1. Government Shutdown 2025
Month 2
November 1, 2025
Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc., Media Group
Talking Points Matrix

2. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group 2
Table of Contents
•Shutdown 2025 - Background
•Section 1 – The Reason
•Section 2 – Other Issues
•Section 3 – Blame
•Section 4 – No Negotiation
•Section 5 – The Filibuster
•Section 6 – Optics
•Section 7 – Point / Counterpoint

3. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group
Background
On October 1
st
, 2025, the US Government shut down for the
5
th
time. As the shutdown continues into November, each
political party is blaming the other.
•While there have been 5 major Government Shutdowns
, there have
been 15 “lapses in funding” since 1980.
•Although the Shutdown has thus far not had a major impact on the
US economy, its cumulative effects are growing.
•If the Shutdown goes beyond Tuesday (Nov 4
th
), it will be the longest
in US history.
•The previous longest Shutdown, (34 days), occurred in 2019 under
the 1
st
Trump Administration.
3

4. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group
Section 1 – The Reason
So, why did Democrats choose now to demonstrate their
opposition to the Big Beautiful Bill? It was Healthcare.
•The previous version of the budget only funded the government through
Sept 30
th
, this meant a “CR” was needed to keep the Government open.
•In July, the GOP had promised to discuss issues with Democrats “after
the bill was passed,” so the Dems approved 3 months of funding.
•November 1
st
was when the Obamacare (ACA) subsidies (e.g. the extra
covid subsidies) were set to expire.
•Also by November, the impacts to private Healthcare plan premiums
would start showing up (due to the combined cuts to Medicaid and the
Affordable Care Act – ACA, also known as “Obamacare”).
4

5. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group
Section 2 – The Other Issues
There are other issues associated with the Big Beautiful Bill
that Democrats wished to discuss with the GOP before
getting on board and voting for it again; these issues include:
1.Medicaid Cuts – When added to the ACA subsidy being allowed to expire, this
comes to as much as a $1.5 trillion cut in Healthcare benefits over a ten year
period. This in turn will cause tens of millions of Americans to lose their
insurance and rural healthcare facilitate to close.
2.Tax Cuts for the Wealthy – These came close to $5 trillion over ten years and
were the stated reason for the need to cut the Healthcare budget, (to help pay
for the tax cuts). These cuts are going disproportionately to the wealthy.
3.Massive Budget Increase for ICE – Enough to make it the 13
th
largest military
force on the planet. Democrats feel that this is unjustified.
5

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Section 3: Blame
Who’s Fault is it?
The 2025 Government Shutdown itself was triggered by both parties. While the
GOP does now have control over all branches of the US Government (including both
Houses of Congress), the traditional Filibuster rule in the Senate does require
minimal minority party support to advance budget legislation.
Is this even the right question?
No. Even if both parties could share some blame for starting it, only one party owns
the blame for not ending the Shutdown
– the GOP. They have refused to negotiate,
gone on permanent recess in the House and depended only on constant threats
and intimidation in attempts to “force” Democrats to approve the Continuing
Resolution (CR) without addressing any of their concerns.

7. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group 7
Section 4: No Negotiation
All Shutdowns prior to this one involved Negotiation. Why not this time?
There are a number of reasons, the most likely being that; a) the GOP didn’t think
that Democrats would do this and thus had not developed a strategy and b) the
GOP believed that the Dems were in such a state of disarray that they’d collapse if
enough pressure were applied. The latter assumption proved false.
Does Intimidation Count as Negotiation
?
No. Not in American Government traditions or norms. Granted, tough negotiations
are not uncommon in politics; but having no position whatsoever at all
accompanied by deliberation misinformation and persistent threats is highly
uncommon. The threats and misinformation, (claiming that the shutdown was
about giving “illegals” free healthcare), began a week in advance of the Shutdown.

8. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group
Section 5 – The Filibuster
It is an “undemocratic tradition” of the Senate, but not
actually part of the US Constitution that requires approval by
60 Senators to end debate and vote on something. Voting to
bypass it is also known as the “Nuclear Option.”
•It has been used by both parties in certain circumstances (Judicial &
Administration approvals) since the 2010’s.
•It wasn’t used to pass Obamacare itself (in 2010); this is why the ACA does
not have a “Public Option.”
•The GOP does not want to use it even though Trump has asked them to go
ahead and do it.
•The reason why they don’t is because they feel it will put them at a
disadvantage over the long term.
8

9. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group. 9
Section 6 - Optics
41 percent of Americans
blame Donald Trump
and Republicans for
shutting down the
government.
Independe
nts have increased from
+12 blaming
Republicans last week to +23 now.
From protectourcare.org
So far, the politics of the Shutdown have not turned out as either party
initially expected (Democrats doing better and the GOP doing worse).

10. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group 10
Section 7: Point / Counterpoint
ID (GOP) Point (Democratic) Counter-Point
1It’s the Democrat’s Shutdown. The GOP controls all levers of power; so why go on
vacation - why won’t they even talk to Dems?
2We’re willing to talk to Democrats about
ACA subsidies after the CR is passed.
That’s exactly what the GOP said last time and they
never followed through. What about all of the Americans about to lose their Healthcare now?
3The Democrats are responsible for Government workers being fired and
benefits being cut.
Each of these situations so far have been first
threatened by and then executed by the GOP in
the absence of any willingness to negotiate.
Whether you’re in an online debate or a political discussion with friends or
acquaintances, you’re likely to run into many of the same key talking points.
This section helps to frame that contest for reference.

11. Copyright 2025, Semantech Inc. Media Group 11
Section 7: Point / Counterpoint Continued
ID (GOP) Point (Democratic) Counter-Point
4The real reason for the
Shutdown is Democrats’
desire to give Health benefits
to “illegals.”
This is patently false and not only has never been suggested by
Democrats – it’s illegal to do so (e.g. only US Citizens are eligible
for Medicaid and Citizens or Permanent Residents for the ACA).
2Is ACA (Obamacare) is broken
– it’s too expensive and needs
to be replaced.
It is more expensive than it should be, but that’s because the
GOP killed the Public Option in 2010 and thus costs could not
be controlled solely through private Health Insurance. The GOP
has allegedly been working on their alternative plan since 2011,
but have yet to present it or discuss it in anywhere publicly.
3Democrats are cutting SNAP
benefits.
The Administration chose not to use funds expressly provided
to USDA for that purpose and have since been ordered in two
separate court rulings to release them.