The Real Reason Dems Caved on Shutdown Will Make You Want to Scream

The Real Reason Democrats Caved on the Shutdown

The government shutdown ended because some senators prioritized maintaining their political power over the party’s broader goals. Seven Senate Democrats and one independent broke ranks on Sunday after a 40-day deadlock with Republicans, leaving their party without gains.

Senators Who Broke Ranks

All eight lawmakers are either retiring or have several years before their next election, which makes the rationale for ending the stalemate even more unreasonable.

Concerns About the Affordable Care Act

More than a dozen House and Senate Democrats worried that insisting on preserving premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits would cost them a key issue for the upcoming midterms, according to The New York Times.

Fear of Changes to the Senate Filibuster

There was also concern over the Senate filibuster. Democrats feared that if they pushed too hard, conservatives might agree with Donald Trump’s effort to eliminate this legislative obstacle.

“The political logic of the shutdown fight was inverted: If Democrats got the tax credits extended—if they ‘won’—they would be solving a huge electoral problem for Republicans,” reported the Times.

Author's summary: Senators prioritized political survival over party goals, ending the shutdown to avoid losing Obamacare as a campaign issue despite the Democratic caucus’s broader interests.

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The New Republic The New Republic — 2025-11-10

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