By Hoyt Hilsman

The ostensible reasons that eight Democratic Senators gave for ending the shutdown was the pain being suffered by the public and the likelihood that the Republicans would never agree to restoring the ACA subsidies.

However, there was a hidden strategy in the deal that set a trap for Republicans.

Despite their public objections to the deal, many Democratic senators likely understood how it could benefit them in the long term – both in the health care battle and in the 2026 midterms.

Majority Leader John Thune promised to put restoring the ACA subsidies to a vote. This presents a dilemma for him and the Republican senators. Either he breaks his promise and refuse to put it to a vote, or he puts his Republican colleagues into the impossible position between supporting Trum

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