The Democrats’ Shutdown Comes to a Flailing E

Chuck Schumer’s Political Stunt Falls Flat

Jessica Anderson Nov 13

The government is reopened. Last night, the bill passed the Senate and the House, and President Trump signed it into law. Funding will resume for critical programs, Air Traffic Control officers will get paid before the holiday season begins, and American families will breathe a sigh of relief.

44 days ago, Democrats began this shutdown, opposing funding levels though a continuing resolution (CR) they previously supported 13 times under President Biden. Their initial demands included taxpayer funds for illegal aliens and it quickly became clear this shutdown was a political stunt to help Chuck Schumer avoid a primary challenger from the Left.

In July, Republicans cut off taxpayer-funded health care for illegal aliens with the One Big Beautiful Bill — watch JD Vance explain it — but illegal aliens were receiving free health care via Medicaid and through hospital services. In September, Democrats refused to vote for any government funding bill that did not return taxpayer funding for illegal immigrants.

For the Democrats, it apparently didn’t matter that essential federal workers went without paychecks. It didn’t matter that foster care programs were losing resources or veterans’ programs were being cut back. In fact, some even protested the Trump administration’s efforts to ensure U.S. troops were paid. Democrats in Congress voted 15 times to keep the government shut down, all because the funding bill did not bring back taxpayer handouts for illegal aliens.

Senate and House Democrats were not shy about their strategy to inflict pain for political gain. Chuck Schumer famously said, “every day gets better for us.” Representative Katherine Clark – a member of Democratic leadership in the House – said, “Of course there will be families that are going to suffer... but it is one of the few leverage times we have.” Now, at the end of the shutdown, despite using suffering American families as “leverage,” it appears that Democrats failed to accomplish any of their goals.

2026 battleground Senate Democrat Jon Ossoff voted against the deal to reopen the government, reaffirming his loyalty to the radical parts of the Democratic Party, and 2026 Senate hopeful Roy Cooper all but admitted he would have done the same.

Though it took over 40 days – and conveniently after last week’s elections – 8 Senate Democrats finally came to their senses and joined with Senate Republicans to help reopen the federal government.

What Comes Next

The current package is a three-bill “minibus” that funds the Department of Agriculture, FDA, Veterans Affairs, military construction, and congressional operations for the fiscal year. Every other agency will be funded until January 30, meaning that the appropriations process is not yet finished. Democrats will also continue to push for a vote on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the 2026 midterm elections are getting closer each day. As Democrats focus their messaging around the ACA, Republicans must stay focused on delivering a clear and disciplined message on affordability – when it comes to health care and everyday life.

We should remind voters why it’s called Obamacare in the first place as it harkens back to the original authors of our failing health care system—Obama and the Democrat Party. The first lie of Obamacare was “if you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” Politifact named this failed promise from Obama as their 2013 “Lie of the year.” Now that families have lost their previous health care plans and been forced onto the Obamacare exchanges, they’ve learned the second big lie: it’s not affordable!

Through the ACA, Democrats created the problems we see today with health care, and they’ve done nothing to fix it since. They would rather subsidize the problem than solve it. In essence, they want to hide the true costs of Obamacare, hiding the truth from all Americans.

Similarly to health care, Democrats’ tax, regulation, and free-handout policies drove up prices throughout the economy. With a bloated bureaucracy and out-of-control federal spending, Democrats skyrocketed inflation and created the economic problems President Trump and Republicans are working to fix.

Republicans already took a major step to improve health care for Americans in 2025 — with the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), they protected Medicare from becoming insolvent and cut off funding for illegal aliens. The working class tax cuts in this bill also helps families alleviate some of the continued pain they feel from Bidenflation.Through executive action and legislation, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have worked all year and secured our border. This is a first step in returning jobs to Americans and improving the average working wage. Enforcing our immigration laws decreases the pressure on housing while reducing crime, which makes more neighborhoods family-friendly.

Safe neighborhoods are a key ingredient for strong families and successful businesses, and so President Trump has deployed the National Guard to several cities in an effort to reduce crime and by extension, promote economic growth. One of the best things the government can do to promote the well-being of Americans is to enforce law and order — at its core, protecting individual liberty and property rights IS the role of the government.

This government shutdown shows just how important it is for Republicans to grow their Senate majority, send politicians like Jon Ossoff home, and prevent radicals like Roy Cooper from taking office. A party that is willing to see American families suffer just to accomplish a political goal should not be trusted with more power in Congress.

Remember, Donald Trump won 31 states in 2024 — giving us the first roadmap to securing a 60 seat Senate majority. In 2026, we can pick up additional Senate seats in Georgia, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Followed by additional pick-up opportunities in 2028!

With 60 Senators, Republicans can do a whole lot more than just keep the government funded.