“Democrats are solely responsible for this government shutdown,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement after 44 Democrats voted on Tuesday to block a House-passed spending plan hours ahead of the deadline. Democrats refused to support the Republicans’ clean bill, opting to put up a fight over health care — namely, they desired to extend covid pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies. “Democrats are solely responsible for this government shutdown,” Gruters said in a statement. “If Republicans are on offense on health care — the Republicans typically and traditionally are on defense. Polling suggests that Americans are holding Democrats accountable for the shutdown mess.