Save the debate for another day about whether too many people qualify for food stamps, which have become significantly more generous over the years. Keeping the government open should be separated from policy disputes about how to spend taxpayer money. It is wrong that Democrats have held the government hostage for a month in hopes of extending costly Obamacare subsidies, just as it was for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to shut down the government in 2013 for 16 days in a bid to defund the Affordable Care Act altogether.

Negotiations can always fall apart, but the calendar could help: Both chambers are supposed to be out on recess the week after next for Veterans Day, which might help induce a deal by next Friday.

The Post argued that Congress should fund the government for a full year, using a clean spending bill to fund food stamps and federal workers, and then later negotiate a potential fix to the looming expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, subsidies. The editorial noted that Democrats said that they refuse to do this because that would give up their “leverage.”

“If they persist, it could mean families start go hungry,” the paper concluded.

Senate Democrats have attempted to blame President Donald Trump and Republicans for the continued shutdown and the funding lapse of SNAP. Leftwing influencers on TikTok are promoting rioting and stealing as food stamps may soon run out of funding due to the Democrat shutdown.