Battenfeld: Shutdown deal exposes Warren, Markey as politically motivated obstructionists
In a significant political turn, a bipartisan agreement led by moderate Democrats has successfully ended the prolonged government shutdown, highlighting a rift within the Democratic Party and casting doubt on the party’s strategy to assign blame to President Trump and the Republicans. The deal, spearheaded by New Hampshire’s senators and supported by several other moderate Democrats, was reached without a commitment to fund Obamacare, prompting dissent from more progressive members of the party. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, both from Massachusetts, voted against the agreement, citing concerns that it failed to address critical healthcare issues. Their stance reflects a broader ideological divide within the Democratic Party, as the left wing criticizes their moderate counterparts for capitulating to Republican demands.
Polling data illustrates that the American public is increasingly frustrated with the blame game surrounding the shutdown. A recent You.Gov survey revealed that 35% of respondents blamed Republicans, while 32% pointed fingers at Democrats, and 28% felt both sides were responsible for the impasse. This shift in public sentiment indicates a growing discontent with partisan politics, as more than one-third of Americans reported being significantly affected by the shutdown, which disrupted essential services and impacted livelihoods. The bipartisan vote to reopen the government not only alleviated some immediate concerns—such as flight delays and food assistance for low-income families—but also exposed deep divisions within the Democratic Party, with some members calling for Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s resignation for his role in the negotiations.
Moderate Democrats, including Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire and Angus King from Maine, played pivotal roles in facilitating the deal, emphasizing the importance of returning to work for federal employees and ensuring the continuation of vital programs like SNAP. Hassan articulated the need to prioritize constituents’ well-being over political maneuvering, stating that the agreement would help protect essential services and provide a pathway for addressing healthcare concerns in the future. In contrast, Warren and Markey’s refusal to support the deal underscores the ongoing tension within the party, as they advocate for a more aggressive stance on healthcare reform. As the dust settles from this shutdown, it remains to be seen how these internal conflicts will shape the Democratic Party’s approach moving forward, particularly in an election cycle where unity may be crucial for success.
A bipartisan deal led by moderate Democrats to end the long, painful government shutdown exposes Massachusetts’ far left senators as politically motivated obstructionists and casts doubt on efforts to blame the shutdown on President Trump and Republicans.
Trump appears to have won the standoff after eight moderate Democrats – led by New Hampshire’s two senators – defected and agreed to end the shutdown without a guarantee to fund Obamacare.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey voted to continue the stalemate despite growing fears about how it has impacted their constituents.
And Democrats’ plans to cast it as the “Trump shutdown” and Republicans’ efforts to make it the “Schumer shutdown” haven’t reverberated with voters – polling suggests Americans blame both sides equally.
A survey by You.Gov last week before the deal was announced showed people are divided over who to blame for the impasse, with 35% blaming Republicans, 32% blaming Democrats and 28% both sides.
The percentage blaming the GOP actually dropped 4% from a previous survey and the percentage blaming both sides rose 4% – indicating Americans were fed up with the blame game.
More than one third of Americans in the recent You.Gov survey said they were affected a great deal or somewhat by the shutdown, up from 21% in the previous month’s survey.
The vote to reopen the government opened a deep rift in the Democratic Party. Fuming liberal Democrats who opposed the bipartisan plan ripped fellow senators from their own party for “surrendering” to Republicans, calling it a “dark day” for Democrats.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced calls from some to resign even though he ended up voting no.
Yet despite the increasing fears by voters over the shutdown’s impact, such as flight delays and cancellations and food for low income families, Markey and Warren and other Democrats chose politics over helping Americans who lost their jobs or were severely affected by the shutdown.
In a carefully worded statement, Markey said he was holding firm because there was no guarantee of continuing Obamacare subsidies.
“I am glad this deal means the government will reopen, that public servants will be returning to work, and that they will receive their paychecks,” Markey said in a statement after the 60-40 vote. “But this legislation does nothing concrete to lower health care costs for millions of Americans from MAGA Republican attacks, and I cannot support it.”
Warren said “I will not support a deal that does nothing to make health care more affordable. The fight to lower costs is a righteous fight, and we must not give it up.”
She added that the Democrats’ “most important job is to fight back….a vote for this legislation is a mistake.”
But other blue state New England senators played a key role in making the deal happen.
The moderate Democrats who sensibly voted to reopen the government included Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Angus King, an independent who votes with Democrats, from Maine.
“After weeks of bipartisan negotiations, I voted today to reopen the government so that we can get back to the work of helping Granite Staters,” Hassan said. “This agreement funds SNAP and food assistance programs, ensures that law enforcement, air traffic controllers and other federal workers get paid, reverses the President’s recent reckless layoffs and prevents them from happening in the future, and critically, gives Congress a clear path forward to protecting people’s health care.”
Shaheen voted to end the shutdown even though she is retiring in 2026 and won’t face a reelection vote.
