WATCH: Democrats struggle to defend Schumer after shutdown ends with few wins
In the aftermath of a historic 43-day government shutdown, Democrats are grappling with difficult questions about the effectiveness of their strategy and the leadership of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The shutdown, which began on October 1, was marked by Democrats’ demands for healthcare subsidies that ultimately went unmet. As several Democratic senators broke ranks to support the reopening of the government, critics within the party have begun to question whether Schumer capitulated too easily to Republican pressures. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut expressed his disappointment, placing the blame squarely on Republicans for creating a false dichotomy between reopening the government and securing affordable healthcare. He argued that their actions have been viewed negatively by the American public, emphasizing the need for accountability.
The fallout from the shutdown has revealed deep divisions within the Democratic Party, particularly between its leadership and more progressive members. Seven Democratic senators, along with six House Democrats, voted to reopen the government without securing the desired healthcare subsidies, igniting a civil war within the party. Progressive figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have criticized the leadership for failing to hold the line in negotiations, arguing that the consequences of the shutdown disproportionately affected vulnerable populations, including federal workers and SNAP recipients. While some Democrats, like Rep. Robert Garcia, maintain that the fight for healthcare must continue, others are reluctant to assign blame to Schumer directly, instead focusing on the Republicans’ role in the standoff.
As the government has reopened, albeit under a stopgap funding bill that only extends current spending levels through January 30, concerns remain about the potential for another shutdown if a long-term appropriations package cannot be negotiated. A backroom deal was struck to ensure a separate vote on extending healthcare subsidies, but skepticism lingers about whether Republicans will honor their commitments. Senators like Mark Kelly are hopeful that this upcoming vote will clarify the GOP’s stance on healthcare, while White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson has criticized Democrats for using the shutdown as leverage for their agenda, asserting that it ultimately harmed American families. As the political landscape continues to evolve, the Democratic Party faces the challenge of unifying its members and addressing pressing issues like healthcare while navigating the complexities of bipartisan negotiations.
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On the heels of a historic 43-day
government shutdown
, Democrats are facing tough questions about whether the record-breaking standoff was worth it, and whether Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gave up too soon.
After failing to secure the healthcare subsidies they demanded, and with several senators breaking ranks to join Republicans in reopening the government — a move widely seen as a black eye on Schumer’s leadership — Senate Democrats continued to blame President
Donald Trump
and the GOP for the shutdown when pressed by Fox News Digital.
“I’m disappointed and angry that Republicans forced a false and impossible choice between healthcare insurance and reopening the government,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Wednesday. “They promised that there will be a vote on extending the
healthcare subsidies
. If they fail to provide that vote, or if the vote fails, they should be held accountable. They are to be blamed.”
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS TURN ON PARTY LEADERSHIP AFTER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENDS WITHOUT HEALTHCARE GUARANTEES
Blumenthal charged that it was Republicans who “forced the false choice between reopening the government and affordable health insurance,” which he said has been “viewed reprehensibly by the American people, and rightly so.”
Like many of his Democratic colleagues, the Connecticut senator sidestepped a question about whether Schumer could have done more to hold the line on negotiations.
SENATE VOTE TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IGNITES DEMOCRAT CIVIL WAR
Seven
Democratic senators
, including one independent who caucuses with them, and six House Democrats voted to reopen the government last week, without extending the pandemic-era
Obamacare subsidies
that Democrats had pushed for since the shutdown began on Oct. 1.
The intraparty revolt has
exposed a widening rift
between Democratic leadership and its left flank, as progressive candidates accused Schumer of surrendering leverage to Republicans in exchange for a funding deal that left
key healthcare priorities
unresolved.
“We have federal workers across the country that have been missing paychecks. We have
SNAP recipients
, millions of SNAP recipients across the country whose access to food stability was imperiled, and we have to figure out what that was for,” Ocasio-Cortez said last week, before adding, “We cannot enable this kind of cruelty with our cowardice.”
Back on Capitol Hill this week, Democrats were less willing to blame Schumer for the Democrats who broke ranks, instead blaming Republicans for the ultimatum.
When asked if the shutdown was worth it, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital that Democrats “should absolutely continue fighting for healthcare.”
And Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., said, “I don’t think you can look at a shutdown from that kind of perspective” of whether it was worth it.
“I think what’s absolutely clear is that
Republicans now own
this healthcare crisis,” McBride added. “Americans very clearly understand that it was Republicans who are stopping at nothing to prevent a vote on the Affordable Care Act tax credit, including having been willing to shut down the government.”
“I voted against reopening without having secured the changes to healthcare and addressing the healthcare-increase spikes. That remains the focus, that remains the work ahead of us still,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said when pressed on the same question and without answering whether the government is headed for another shutdown.
Democrats who spoke to Fox News Digital said they hoped the government isn’t headed for another shutdown but maintained that the party should continue to
fight for healthcare guarantees
.
While the
government reopened
last week, the stopgap funding bill only keeps federal spending at current fiscal-year-2025 levels through Jan. 30 to give Congress more time to negotiate a longer-term appropriations package for fiscal year 2026. If Congress can’t reach a consensus, the government could be headed toward another shutdown.
As part of a backroom deal to reopen the government, Senate Democrats were promised a separate vote on extending healthcare subsidies.
“I certainly hope we’ll avoid another government shutdown, but, again, Republicans promised a vote on extending the healthcare tax credit subsidies. If they fail to provide that vote, or if the vote fails, they’ll be to blame. They’ll be held accountable,” Blumenthal said.
And Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said he was looking forward to Republicans having the opportunity to go on the record by voting on the healthcare guarantees this December.Â
As for whether the government is barreling toward another shutdown, Kelly said, “[You] gotta ask the President and the Republicans in the House and Senate.”
Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kristen Gillibrand and Elissa Slotkin did not respond to Fox News Digital’s question about whether the shutdown was worth it, and their offices did not immediately respond to further inquiries.Â
When reached for comment, White House Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson flipped the script on the Democrats who placed blame on Republicans for the government shutdown.Â
“Democrats shut down the government and inflicted great pain on the American people because they wanted to use struggling families as ‘leverage’ for their far left agenda,” Jackson told Fox News Digital.Â
“President Trump defeated their absurd gambit and delivered yet another win to the American people, but it’s alarming that even after their ploy failed, Democrats still can’t admit their shutdown hurt the American people,” she added.
