Lead: Eight Senate Democrats voted this week to advance a funding measure that ends a 40-day government shutdown, setting off sharp criticism from progressives and some party leaders. The agreement—announced as negotiations led by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan and Angus King produced a path forward—restores pay for federal workers, raises SNAP funding temporarily and schedules a Senate vote next month on Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. Critics say the deal concedes too much without securing a firm extension of the subsidies central to Democrats’ demands. The split exposes deep intra-party divisions that will shape debates ahead of next year’s primaries and the midterm cycle.
Key Takeaways
- Eight Senate Democrats voted to advance a continuing resolution after 40 days of a partial government shutdown; the break in ranks came Nov. 9–10, 2025.
- The deal schedules a Senate vote next month on ACA tax credits but does not guarantee extension; many House Republicans oppose such a measure.
- Agreement language reverses layoffs from the shutdown and provides higher Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding for a limited period.
- Moderate senators leading talks—Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Sen. Maggie Hassan and Sen. Angus King—argued the compromise was the best available offer after Republican resistance.
- Progressive figures and some congressional Democrats called for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down following the defections.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to taking up any Senate-passed ACA subsidy extension, leaving the ultimate outcome uncertain.
- The split follows a broader political backdrop: Democrats’ strong performance in recent elections energized progressives who wanted the party to keep pressing on health-care protections.
Background
The shutdown began 40 days before the votes that produced the current compromise, forcing many federal employees into unpaid status and disrupting services for millions dependent on federal programs. Democrats had made extending ACA tax credits a central negotiating demand, arguing subsidies are essential to keeping premiums affordable for millions of Americans. Moderate Democrats and some senators from swing or Republican-leaning states faced intense pressure from the economic strain of the shutdown—constituents not being paid and cuts to food assistance became prominent in local news and constituent calls.
Historically, funding standoffs have produced both political backlash and policy trade-offs; leaders often weigh the immediate human costs of a shutdown against long-term policy goals. In March of the same year, Senate leader fights and procedural votes exposed similar fractures; this round intensified scrutiny of leadership strategy. The Senate’s procedural rules and the House’s control by Republicans further complicated prospects for any unilateral Democratic achievement on ACA tax credits without bipartisan agreement or separate legislative maneuvers.
Main Event
Negotiations that produced the deal were led publicly by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (NH) and Maggie Hassan (NH), with Sen. Angus King (ME) also playing a visible role in brokering terms with the Senate majority. The package advanced through a procedural vote that cleared a path to a final funding bill; its architects highlighted provisions reversing furlough-related layoffs and restoring higher SNAP benefits for a limited period. Supporters argued those provisions would quickly relieve harm inflicted on families and federal employees during the shutdown.
Moderates framed the move as pragmatic: with Republican leaders unwilling to agree to a one-year ACA tax-credit extension, they opted for a route that forced a recorded Senate vote on health subsidies next month. Opponents countered that a scheduled vote is not a guarantee of passage—Senate arithmetic and united Republican opposition could leave the credits unchanged. House Speaker Mike Johnson has not pledged to take up any Senate-passed extension in the House, creating an additional legislative hurdle.
Reaction inside the Democratic caucus was immediate and sharp. Progressives and some high-profile Democrats called the switch a surrender of a central party demand after a prolonged fight. Governor Gavin Newsom called the move “pathetic” and Senator Chris Murphy said, “There’s no way to defend this,” while Senator Bernie Sanders warned it would be a serious political and policy setback. Leadership defenders argued the deal prevented further human suffering and kept the health-care dispute alive on the Senate floor rather than buried inside appropriations.
Analysis & Implications
The fracture underscores an enduring tension in Democratic strategy: whether to press maximal policy demands at the cost of prolonged shutdown pain or to secure targeted, short-term relief and continue the substantive fight later. For progressives, the optics of conceding without secured ACA subsidy extensions risks dampening grassroots enthusiasm and raising questions about the party’s ability to protect health-care benefits. For moderates, failing to alleviate immediate hardship to constituents posed political risks in competitive states.
Legally and procedurally, scheduling a Senate vote on ACA tax credits does not ensure legislative success. Republicans in the Senate and the Republican-controlled House have signaled opposition; passage would likely require either bipartisan agreement or a maneuver in the House that Speaker Johnson has not endorsed. If the Senate does approve an extension and the House blocks it, Democrats could spin the outcome to national audiences but would still lack a binding nationwide fix.
Politically, the episode may fuel leadership challenges and primary-level agitation. Calls for Senator Schumer’s replacement reflect frustration with perceived insufficient discipline or strategy, even though Schumer publicly opposed advancing the continuing resolution. The disagreement could shape candidate positioning in Democratic primaries, pressuring incumbents and prospective challengers to stake clearer positions on compromise versus maximal demands.
Comparison & Data
| Shutdown | Duration (days) | Notable outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Current (2025) | 40 | Deal advances funding; Senate vote on ACA credits scheduled |
| 2018–2019 | 35 | Longest prior shutdown; federal employee pay later restored |
| 2013 | 16 | Significant program disruption; budget talks resumed after reopening |
The table places the current 40-day shutdown in historical context: it exceeds the 35-day shutdown of Dec 2018–Jan 2019 and dwarfs shorter past disruptions. Longer shutdowns increase economic and administrative costs, intensify constituent pressure on lawmakers, and often force leaders to prioritize immediate reopening over securing longer-term policy victories.
Reactions & Quotes
Progressive and centrist responses diverged sharply; excerpts below show the tenor of immediate public statements and the contexts that followed.
“Pathetic.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom (California office)
Newsom used the one-word criticism to express frustration that the deal fell short of locking in extended ACA subsidies, framing the decision as a political failing ahead of future contests.
“There’s no way to defend this.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (CT)
Sen. Murphy’s remark captured the anger among some Democrats who believed the caucus should have held the line on health-care measures even at greater short-term cost.
“I must vote no — this health care crisis is so severe…I cannot in good faith support this CR that fails to address the health care crisis.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY)
Schumer’s floor statement clarified his formal opposition to the procedural move even as some members of his caucus voted to advance the measure.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the scheduled Senate vote next month will produce a majority for an ACA tax-credit extension remains uncertain; Republican opposition makes passage uncertain.
- Whether Speaker Mike Johnson will bring any Senate-passed ACA subsidy extension to a House floor vote has not been committed and remains speculative.
- Calls for Senate Leader Schumer to resign reflect political pressure but do not yet indicate an organized or imminent removal effort within the Democratic caucus.
Bottom Line
The pragmatic choice by eight Senate Democrats to advance a funding measure ended a 40-day shutdown and delivered immediate relief—restoring pay for federal employees and boosting SNAP temporarily—while leaving the core fight over ACA tax credits unresolved. The deal forces a political test next month in the Senate and shifts pressure to the House, where passage is not assured.
Beyond policy mechanics, the episode deepens intraparty fault lines between progressives who demanded firm health-care protections and moderates focused on ending immediate harm to constituents. How Democratic leaders respond—whether by securing a standalone extension, using messaging to shape public opinion, or reshuffling leadership strategy—will determine the party’s cohesion and message heading into primary season and the midterm calendar.