OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:38 PM – Tuesday, October 28, 2025
As the federal government shutdown approaches its one-month mark, Democrat Representative Jared Golden has broken ranks with his party — publicly criticizing his fellow Democrats for their misleading strategy to leverage the impasse over funding.
In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Golden (D-Maine), the only House Democrat to vote in favor of a Republican-backed stopgap funding bill aimed at averting the shutdown, said he feels uneasy about using deceptive Democrat Party tactics to “win” and shutting down the government.
“I’m just uncomfortable lying about the strategy to win and shutting down the government. We’ve never been the party that does that,” Golden told the Journal in an article on Sunday.
Golden’s comments exemplify his more centrist approach and willingness to challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, despite expected repercussions. While he has expressed support for extending ACA (Obamacare) tax credits, Golden has also advocated for a fair negotiation process that addresses understandable Republican concerns as well.
“This government shutdown is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump. The shutdown is hurting Americans and our economy, and the irony is it has only handed more power to the president,” Golden stated earlier in the month.
Advertisement“This fight is ostensibly about health care, so let me be clear: I opposed the GOP’s Medicaid cuts and I want to extend the ACA tax credits … But normal policy disagreements are no reason to subject our constituents to the continued harm of this shutdown.”
Illegal aliens can receive emergency medical services through federal programs. Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, hospitals are required to provide screening and stabilizing care for anyone experiencing an emergency, regardless of immigration status. Medicaid’s “Emergency Medicaid” program also reimburses hospitals for treatment of life-threatening conditions, including labor and delivery, for individuals who are not lawful citizens. Federal funds typically cover about half of these costs, with the remainder funded by states, though exact rates vary. Additionally, a significant portion of Emergency Medicaid spending goes toward labor and delivery services for births of children born to illegal alien parents. These emergency reimbursements help hospitals cover a large portion of the care they provide.
Since the shutdown stems from a dispute over the expiration of enhanced Obamacare subsidies at the end of the year, Democrat leaders are still pushing to extend the subsidies, though Republicans insist that government funding must be restored first. As the impasse drags on, Americans continue to face the real-world consequences of furloughed federal workers, leading to delayed services, cut off SNAP benefits, and general uncertainty over healthcare provisions.
During his Wall Street Journal interview, Golden declared that he views the Democrats’ approach, using the shutdown as leverage for policy gains, as inconsistent and shady in regard to the party’s “values” — at least the Democrat party he once knew.
“Shutdowns hurt workers, the poor, small businesses, veterans, and seniors. Next week, members of the military will go without their paycheck. It’s unacceptable that service members who signed up to serve their country are being asked to pay the price for political dysfunction,” Golden said in an October 10th announcement. “Here’s the truth: The CR contained no health care cuts. None. Zero.”
“Democratic leaders and some progressive activists keep muddying the waters. Despite the fact that it passed in July, listening to party leaders talk about the shutdown, you’d think we were still debating the GOP megabill ahead of a floor vote. Despite the spin, the truth remains: Voting against it won’t undo the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ or stop the ACA tax credits from expiring. It just keeps the government shut down.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has reiterated an openness to healthcare negotiations with Democrats but also maintained that the government must reopen before any discussions take place, similar to what GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson has already voiced.
Golden’s dissent reflects broader tensions within the Democrat Party over strategy and principles during a politically fraught shutdown, and his position could possibly influence other centrist Democrats weighing how far to push party priorities against the potential fallout of a prolonged shutdown.
However, this isn’t the first time Rep. Golden has strayed from his party.
In March, he was the only House Democrat to back a Republican spending bill that averted a government shutdown, and he has also supported President Trump’s tariffs. Lastly, Golden was among the few Democrats to vote for the SAVE Act — which requires proof of citizenship for federal elections.
Johnson revealed on Monday that Republican leaders were developing a new healthcare plan amid the shutdown. Johnson stated that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is leading a healthcare reform package in collaboration with Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-Mich.).
Nonetheless, after a GOP conference call on Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) criticized Johnson for failing to present a Republican plan to address the impending expiration of provisions and associated tax subsidies at year’s end.
“You left out that I said I have no respect for the House not being in session passing our bills and the President’s executive orders,” Greene wrote on X, in response to a post from Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. “And I demanded to know from Speaker Johnson what the Republican plan for healthcare is to build the off-ramp off Obamacare and the ACA tax credits to make health insurance affordable for Americans,” she added.
“Johnson said he’s got ideas and pages of policy ideas and committees of jurisdiction are working on it, but he refused to give one policy proposal to our GOP conference on our own conference call,” the Georgia GOP rep continued. “Apparently I have to go into a SCIF to find out the Republican healthcare plan!!!”
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