‘A very bad night’: Democrats face blowback from their own party over shutdown deal

(WASHINGTON) — Eight senators who caucus with Democrats broke rank on Sunday and forwent extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year — a move could bring an end to the government shutdown, but has led to criticism from many within their own party.

Sens. Angus King, Tim Kaine, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Magie Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen — none of whom are up for reelection 2026 — voted Sunday to support a short-term funding bill that would reopen the government through Jan. 30.

The 60-40 vote barely put the continuing resolution over the finish line in the Senate, and the legislation will need to pass in the GOP-controlled House and receive President Donald Trump’s signature before it can go into effect and fund the government.

In the end, Democrats did not receive their one key demand in the shutdown battle: extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. Instead, the deal promises a vote on health care subsidies in the coming weeks — something Senate Majority Leader John Thune had already offered as part of a deal over a month ago.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who has been a vocal leader in the fight to extend health care subsidies, posted a video on X Sunday night captioned: “Tonight was a very bad night.”

“This was a very, very bad vote,” Sanders said, adding that the deal “raises health care premiums for over 20 million Americans” and “paves the way for 15 million people to be thrown off of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”

Sanders said last week’s elections — in which Democrats across the country won by historic margins — shows that “the American people want us to stand up to Trumpism, to his war against working-class people, to his authoritarianism. That is what the American people wanted. But tonight, that is not what happened.”

Sanders was not alone. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the party “lost” the fight over health care. Sen. Chris Murphy argued there was “no way to defend” the yes vote.

“My fear is that Trump gets stronger, not weaker, because of this acquiescence,” Murphy wrote on X.

Several key Democratic governors, some of whom are rumored to be considering a bid for the White House in 2028, are criticizing the deal. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the negotiations a “deeply disappointing result” with the administration steamrolling Congress. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote in a post on X that instead of a deal, it’s an “empty promise,” and California Gov. Gavin Newsom curtly called the move by Senate Democrats “pathetic.”

Even Sen. Shaheen’s own daughter Stefany Shaheen, who is running for Congress in New Hampshire, came out against the deal her mother supported.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday said the party will continue to fight for health care, adding that the Democratic senators who voted for the GOP plan will have to defend their votes.

“With respect to senators … they are going to have to explain themselves,” Jeffries said during a news conference Monday.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, despite voting no on the Republican spending bill, has faced calls from Democrats in Congress to step down from Senate leadership over his failure to keep members of his party in line.

Some Democrats, such as progressive Rep. Rho Khanna, are calling for Schumer to walk away from the job entirely. 

“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” Khanna wrote on X Sunday night. “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?”

Democratic Rep. Mike Levin wrote on X on Monday that “Chuck Schumer has not met this moment and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership.”

Schumer, meanwhile, has vowed to “keep fighting” in the battle for health care.

The rouge Democrats defended their yes vote Sunday night, claiming that Republicans would now work with them on the issue of health care.

“After weeks of bipartisan conversations, I voted today to reopen the government so that we can get back to the work of helping families. 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 crucially, gives Congress a clear path forward to protecting people’s health care,” Hassan said Sunday.

“And if [a deal on health care] is not successful, then shame on the Republican party and shame on Donald Trump. But the American people will see who stands with them on health care and who does not, and that will be the platform of the next stage of the fight,” added Shaheen.

On Capitol Hill Sunday night, Kaine, Hassan, Shaheen, Cortez Masto and King stressed there is still a critical need for ACA tax credits, but that the impact of the government shutdown was becoming too dire. Additionally, the group said the Republicans were “clear” in their refusal to negotiate with Democrats over health care while the government remained closed.

ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.

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