Party Divides Deepen as Eight Democrats Join Republicans to End Shutdown
Washington, D.C. – As the U.S. government shutdown nears its end, eight Senate Democrats have come under intense criticism from their own party after siding with Republicans to pass a temporary funding deal that fails to guarantee health care subsidy extensions.
The bipartisan deal — which reopens the government until January 30 — ensures only a future vote in December on extending health care subsidies. It also reverses recent federal workforce cuts implemented by former President Donald Trump during the shutdown.
Making This Deal Is Malpractice,” Says Mikie Sherrill
New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill, one of the Democratic Party’s rising stars after last week’s off-year elections, sharply criticized her Senate colleagues for backing the compromise.
> “Make no mistake, if this bill passes, it will lead to New Jerseyans paying far more for their healthcare, when they are already paying more and more for everything,” Sherrill said.
“Making this deal is malpractice.”
Her remarks reflect growing frustration among progressives who argue that Democrats “caved under pressure” and compromised core policy goals for the sake of political expediency.
Democratic Governors and Candidates Condemn the Vote
The backlash spread quickly across the party. California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a single word on X (formerly Twitter):
> “Pathetic.”
Similarly, several Senate hopefuls for 2026 voiced strong opposition to the compromise.
James Talarico, a Democratic state representative in Texas running for the U.S. Senate, declared:
> “This moment demands fighters, not folders.”
In Michigan, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, who is also running for Senate, criticized the deal as harmful to working families:
> “We all want this shutdown to end, but if this is the deal the Senate is sending us, it doesn’t work for Michigan. Republicans already raised health care costs and threatened Medicaid for so many people in our state. I’m going to need more than empty promises.”
Who Are the Eight Democrats Who Broke Ranks?
The eight Democratic senators who voted with Republicans include several who had previously backed reopening the government:
1. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada)
2. John Fetterman (Pennsylvania)
3. Angus King (Independent, Maine)
4. Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
5. Dick Durbin (Illinois)
6. Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire)
7. Jacky Rosen (Nevada)
8. Tim Kaine (Virginia)
Their decision came just one week after Democrats celebrated major wins in off-year elections — victories that had raised hopes for strong momentum heading into the 2026 midterms.
A Divided Party Faces a Tough Road Ahead
The internal dispute underscores a widening ideological divide within the Democratic Party:
Moderates seeking bipartisan progress to avoid economic fallout
Progressives insisting on holding the line for affordable healthcare
With the continuing resolution set to expire in late January, both factions will need to unite once again to prevent another shutdown — and to prove to voters
that Democrats can deliver on promises of lower costs and stronger healthcare protections.
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