Salem Radio Network host Scott Jennings clashed with former Democratic National Committee Vice Chairperson David Hogg on Monday’s “CNN Newsnight,” correcting claims that Republicans were to blame for the ongoing government shutdown.
Jennings reminded Hogg that Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act and set its subsidy provisions to expire in 2025.
The exchange came as the shutdown neared its fifth week, with Democrats pushing for a continuing resolution that includes more than $1 trillion in funding.
Among their priorities are extending COVID-era subsidies for Obamacare, which were enacted under the American Rescue Plan and later expanded through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Hogg argued that Democrats could not support the Republican-led resolution because it would increase premiums for millions of Americans.
“The entire reason the government is not open right now is because Democrats refuse to be complicit in having millions of Americans, including a hundred thousand in Kentucky, your home state, if I’m remembering correctly, Scott, that rely on ACA, that would see their premiums rise several—” Hogg said.
Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, interjected, saying the issues could be addressed separately.
“Which you can deal with separately. It doesn’t have to be. Those two things do not go together. They’re two separate—” she began before Hogg interrupted.
“But the way that they’re doing this right now, they’re combining both,” Hogg responded, turning the discussion toward the failed 2017 effort by congressional Republicans to repeal Obamacare.
He referenced the late Sen. John McCain’s deciding vote that kept the legislation intact.
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida joined in, defending Hogg’s point that Republicans should bear responsibility for the current impasse. Jennings then stepped in to clarify the legislative record.
“David, you would admit that the ACA was a Democrat legislation, yes? And you would admit that the subsidies that we’re talking about now were passed by Democrats, yes? And you would admit that the sunset provision in the subsidies, which comes up at the end of the year, was in place because of Democrats, yes?” Jennings said.
“Now, you want to make it a Republican problem. These are not the same issues. You could open the government today and then you could negotiate with Republicans about ACA.”
Jennings continued, noting that some House Republicans would likely negotiate over the subsidies if the shutdown were resolved.
“And by the way, my suspicion is, and you know this, there are probably — and I know there are some House Republicans that would love to negotiate on it, but under duress, under a hostage taking situation, connecting disconnected issues, and now you‘re throwing SNAP onto it, you‘re throwing all the federal workers who aren‘t being paid onto it, all because of this fight that you wandered into because of your wing of the Democratic Party,” he said.
“You all led to this SNAP crisis. You all led to this crisis of the government being closed, and you don’t know how to get out of it.”
The debate highlighted deep divisions over spending priorities as the shutdown continues.
Democratic leadership has tied key budget items—including health care and nutrition programs—to the continuing resolution, while Republicans argue that the issues should be negotiated separately.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has faced criticism within his own party over his previous cooperation with Republicans on a March spending bill that prevented an earlier shutdown.
Schumer, who has served in the Senate since 1999 after nine terms in the House, has faced pressure from the left wing of the party, including speculation that Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could mount a primary challenge against him in 2028.
Negotiations are expected to continue this week as both parties look for a path forward to reopen the government and address the expiring health care subsidies before the end of the fiscal year.
David Hogg is a kid who barely graduated high school and has co-opted the tragic school shooting at his school when he wasn’t even there to launch a political career. This is a person who knows nothing about work, has never held an honest job for even one single day, knows nothing about earning an income and paying sales tax, state income and employment taxes, and federal income and social security taxes. Why does anyone listen to a word he says? Answer: he’s a useful idiot tool for the Democrat anti-gun movement. If he were a registered republican who never held a job and barely graduated school, no one would talk to him, much less listen to him and he would never be invited to speak on television. That is the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans demand candidates walk the walk. Democrats only care if you talk the talk.