Amid the landscape of American politics, and the ever pushing tide of authoritarianism threatening to break through the proverbial dam, the fears about the future of American democracy are not limited to the younger generations, and neither is the fight to preserve that democracy, and secure the rights, liberties, and freedoms we are entitled by the Constitution.

I sat down with Representative James P. McGovern, who represents MA-02, the district which encompasses Worcester, and as the shutdown still looms, and the people are denied healthcare, food, and help, his words were very relevant. When prompted about the future of democracy in the US, he commented, “Never have I seen a President who has so aggressively tried to accumulate power…and never have I seen a Congress so subservient, so willing to cave.” This comes as, on Saturday, the USDA ran out of funds to disperse for SNAP recipients, and President Trump said that he would not be allowing the USDA to release contingency funds, despite continuing SNAP benefits being the purpose of said funds. On an interview with 60 Minutes, Trump said that he would not be, “extorted by the Democrats who have lost their way.”

However, Rep. McGovern has a different perspective. “The President has deliberately chosen not to do that [release emergency funds for SNAP]…he thinks its political leverage to starve people…its a terribly cruel thing to do.”

According to Rep. McGovern, people in every state are seeing their healthcare bills “doubling and tripling in some cases.” Additionally, the Continuing Resolution required for the Government to open would involve, “not continuing, for example, you know, tax credits for people who, you know, are in the Affordable Care Act,” which is a deal breaker for the Democrats in the Senate.

As the shutdown makes the record for the longest shutdown in American history, the Democrats in the Senate “don’t want 10s of millions of people to lose their health care. So we’re saying if you want our vote on this continuing resolution, extend the health care benefits…And they’re saying no. And so they can’t get the votes to, to pass the continuing resolution. Now they’re threatening, in my opinion, illegally, to cut off people’s SNAP benefits.”

However, the future of Democracy does not just rest in the hands of the President, but in the House of Representatives. Adelita Grivalja, of AZ-07, is the Representative-elect for her district. However, for more than 35 days, the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has not sworn her in. “By not convening Congress. Even though we have what we call pro-forma sessions where twice a week, you know, Congress comes into session and it’s just like a formality. And so he’s [Speaker Johnson’s] using all kinds of excuses that you can’t be sworn in during pro-forma sessions. That’s not true. He swore in two Republicans during pro-forma sessions…He is not swearing her in, in part because if she gets sworn in, she has said that she will sign a discharge petition...on whether or not to release the Epstein files.”

The discharge petition requires 218 votes to kick off, and Rep.-elect Grivalja would be the 218th signature to set the discharge in motion, and bring the motion to release the Epstein Files to the House floor. And since she is not sworn in, “the people of her district do not really have a representative. I mean, she has no money for an office. She can’t hire staff. She can’t get a computer. She can’t respond to her constituents’ inquiries…she has no standing with agencies and departments in our government to request information and to advocate for her constituents.” And, coincidentally, until she is sworn in, she cannot sign the discharge petition to release the Epstein Files. 

However, there are signs of true resistance to the policies of authoritarianism of the Trump Administration. The ‘No Kings’ rallies across the country, which have drawn record crowds, shattering records for the largest protests in American history, at over 7 million people, about 2% of the US population, have shed light on the state of opinion in the country. Zohran K. Mamdani’s overwhelming victory in New York City has shown the popularity of resistance and Progressive policies like free buses and universal childcare.

Regardless, the count is clear in the end. Democracy is not guaranteed, not even in the United States of America. But there is always the opportunity to build a better future.