Democrats refuse to end Americans’ suffering as shutdown reaches historic milestone

Senate Democrats blocked Republicans’ attempt to reopen the government for the 14th time, while ensuring the government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history.

The decision to once again reject the continuing resolution (CR) passed by the House comes as a wind of optimism and exhaustion blows through the Upper House. Lawmakers are engaging in more bipartisan discussions and many believe a path out is in sight.

Yet Tuesday morning’s vote against the CR came as the shutdown matched the previous record of 35 days set in 2019, and that all but guaranteed it would surpass that unfortunate milestone later that evening.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BECOMES LONGEST IN US HISTORY AS DEMOCRATS RUN ON OBAMACARE

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his Democratic caucus are maintaining their position. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his Democratic caucus are still largely stuck to their position that unless an ironclad deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies is reached, they will not reopen the government.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Schumer placed the blame for the health care problem squarely on Republicans and President Donald Trump, as Americans received notices of premium increases over the weekend.

“The Republicans’ only plan on health care seems to be to eliminate it and then tell workers to go take care of it themselves,” he said. “This is not a health care plan. This is cruel.”

However, his caucus’ resolve showed signs of weakening Monday, when a group of nearly a dozen Democratic senators met behind closed doors to discuss a way out.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he was optimistic the shutdown would end soon, but he wasn’t sure it would by the end of this week.

He noted that Republicans have made a host of options available to Senate Democrats, including guaranteeing a vote on whether the subsidies expire, or “whatever their Obamacare bill is,” after the government reopens. Asked if he thought lawmakers were close to reaching their goal, he said, “I hope it’s close.”

SENATE REPUBLICS PLAN LONGER-TERM FUNDING BILL AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES

Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks during a news conference with Senate Republican leaders following a policy luncheon at the Capitol in Washington, October 28, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“But the pressures, the cross pressures that everyone feels are great,” Thune said. “But I think there are people who realize that this has been going on long enough and the American people have been through enough suffering, and it’s time to put an end to it. So we’ll see if the numbers are enough.”

Then there’s the reality that the current Nov. 21 end date for the House-passed CR doesn’t give lawmakers enough time to move funding bills forward, which has been a primary goal for Thune and others. And many don’t want to reopen the government just to see it shut down a few weeks later.

Lawmakers are considering expanding the current CR, either by amending it or passing a new bill, which would give them enough time to finish spending and avoid a colossal year-end omnibus bill. Some are looking at January, while others would prefer an extension until December. A trio of spending bills, known as minibuses, could also be linked to the renovated extension.

These talks are happening alongside discussions on Obamacare, but neither side has so far made a decision to build a comprehensive exit path out of the shutdown.

Asked if he thought the shutdown might end this week, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who has regularly engaged in bipartisan talks since the shutdown began, said, “I don’t know, I hope so.”

“At the end of the day, they can stop all of this with one vote and get back to it and get back to work on a bipartisan basis,” he said. “Again, that’s what we’re hoping for.”

Both sides acknowledge that it will be difficult to change the subsidies, whether through reforms or by changing pricing, given that insurers have already released their pricing and guidance over the weekend, in line with the start of open enrollment.

SENA RETURNS TO WORK AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN NEARLY LONGEST IN U.S. HISTORY TO FOLLOW FIGHT AGAINST OBAMACARE

President Donald Trump awaits the arrival of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House in Washington, October 20, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Still, lawmakers are debating the path forward on subsidies. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, who participated in the bipartisan negotiations, said her proposed grants would extend them for two years.

She stressed that it would be “really, very difficult to implement reforms right now” because insurance rates had been published and her proposal was just one of many.

Ultimately, it will be about finding the right mix of ideas to build a way out for grants. Murkowski said changing the income cap, which was removed when subsidies were strengthened under former President Joe Biden, and changing the low-cost premium contribution were just a few ideas on the table.

“There’s nothing brand new that no one is really talking about,” she said. “It’s just what’s the right concoction?”

But some Senate Democrats are frustrated that Trump is not getting more involved and argue that unless he gives an explicit green light, any deal reached on the Hill doesn’t matter.

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Trump agreed to meet with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., only after the government reopened. And over the weekend, he demanded that Senate Republicans remove the 60-vote threshold for the filibuster, something unlikely to happen anytime soon, if ever.

“At no time since October 1 has Donald Trump agreed to sit down with Democratic leaders,” said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. “So he can talk all he wants about the filibuster, but until he puts some skin in the game and sits down and talks to us, it all makes no sense to me. And honestly, I don’t care if he pontificates about this stuff on social media. Like, if he has time to tweet, he has time to come talk to us.”