democratic collapse: forty days for nothing

featurepolitics

After 40 days, the longest shutdown in U.S. history, eight Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to end it and got basically none of what they were fighting for. The “deal” is a continuing resolution that reopens the government on the same terms the GOP offered six weeks ago.

They’d been holding out for an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies affecting 22–24 million people. Instead, they accepted a non-binding promise of a vote later. No guarantee of passage. No House commitment. No Trump signature.

This all came four days after Democrats won big in the November 5 elections—victories that should have stiffened their spine. But after flight cancellations, SNAP cuts, and federal workers about to miss a third paycheck, leadership folded. Republicans stayed unified.

The “Deal”

What Democrats wanted: a real extension of ACA premium tax credits in the bill. Without it, 22–24 million Americans face premium hikes averaging +114% starting January 1. Some families will see $20,000+ increases, and millions will lose coverage entirely.

What they got: a promise from John Thune to schedule a December vote. Meaningless.

  • no guarantee it passes the Senate
  • no House vote promised
  • no presidential backing
  • Republicans already drafting replacement bills turning subsidies into HSA schemes

Other scraps:

  • funding through January 30, 2026
  • a few full-year appropriations bills (VA, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, MilCon)
  • reversal of 4,000 layoff notices and back pay for furloughed workers
  • SNAP restored, after a month of chaos that states now have to fix if they made partial payments

Crumbs!!!

Who Broke Ranks

Eight Democrats voted yes at 8:27 p.m. ET on November 9. None of them face voters in 2026 🤔. That’s how you know the fix is in—the others get to pretend to be angry now.

Retiring: Durbin (IL), Shaheen (NH). Up in 2028: Hassan, Fetterman, Cortez Masto. Up in 2030: Kaine, Rosen, King (technically independent, but come on).

Everyone else—32 Democrats—voted no. Rand Paul was the lone Republican “no,” for his usual reasons.

Moderates who don’t have to answer to voters tanked the caucus strategy. Progressives are fuming, and rightfully so.

What Democrats Surrendered

  • Healthcare leverage: 22–24 million people face doubled premiums, the entire reason for the shutdown gone.
  • No impoundment guardrails: Trump can keep withholding funds Congress already passed.
  • Federal worker “protections” good for maybe ten weeks.
  • Short-term funding means another January cliff, with less leverage.
  • Identical deal to the October 1 offer. Democrats could have done this exact thing 35 days ago.

Democrats had just won elections that were supposed to prove voters supported their stand—Virginia, New Jersey, big wins. Bernie, Murphy, and Schumer all said this was their mandate to hold firm. Even Trump admitted the shutdown hurt Republicans.

And then, within 72 hours of those wins, moderates told leadership they’d reopen the government anyway. The rest of the caucus “went ballistic.” It didn’t matter.

Air travel chaos pushed it over the edge: thousands of cancellations, more than 10,000 delays, air traffic controllers unpaid for 40 days. Durbin cited that specifically. Once flights were affected, the politics changed overnight—because senators use planes, not SNAP.

The GOP won by letting real-world pain build until Democrats caved.

Republicans Got Everything

  • ACA subsidies expire January 1
  • No enforcement of their “promise”
  • Short-term CR gives them more leverage in January
  • Trump keeps his impoundment power
  • Public perception: Republicans “stood firm,” Democrats blinked

They didn’t even have to offer concessions. They just waited.

Schumer’s Role in All This

Schumer voted against the CR publicly while apparently approving it privately. Shaheen said leadership was informed the whole time. Sources say he “gave express approval” to the moderates. Either he orchestrated the cave or lost control of his caucus—neither is good.

House Democrats are livid. Ro Khanna (!) called him ineffective. Ritchie Torres (!! don’t make me quote Ritchie Torres!!) called it surrender. Newsom called it “pathetic.”

It’s Schumer’s second collapse this year, after letting a March CR through without protecting agencies from Trump and Musk dismantling them.

TL;DR

Democrats fought 40 days, caused real pain, won elections proving they had leverage, then accepted a deal functionally identical to the one they rejected in October.

Republicans learned they can win by doing nothing. Democrats learned… idk what they learned. Apparently nothing.

Millions will see doubled premiums in January. Federal workers get a breather until February. And Schumer gets to pretend he voted “no” out of principle. Forty days of suffering for a pinky promise. ✨