Democrats blame Republicans for longest U.S. government shutdown in history

On the heels of a historic 43-day government shutdown, Democrats are facing tough questions about whether the record impasse was worth it and whether Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gave up too soon.

After failing to secure the health care subsidies they demanded, and as several senators broke ranks to join Republicans in reopening the government — a move widely seen as a black eye on Schumer’s leadership — Senate Democrats continued to blame President Donald Trump and the Republican Party for the shutdown under pressure from Fox News Digital.

“I am disappointed and angry that Republicans have forced a false and impossible choice between health insurance and reopening government,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said Wednesday. “They promised there would be a vote on extending health care subsidies. If they fail to get that vote, or if the vote fails, they should be held accountable. They should be blamed.”

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS SEE FOR PARTY LEADERSHIP AFTER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENDS WITHOUT HEALTH GUARANTEES

The United States Capitol building in Washington, DC on November 5, 2025. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Blumenthal accused Republicans of “forcing the false choice between reopening government and affordable health insurance,” which he said was “viewed as reprehensible by the American people, and rightly so.”

Like many of his Democratic colleagues, the Connecticut senator sidestepped the question of whether Schumer could have done more to keep the negotiations on track.

SENATE VOTE TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN TRIGGERED DEMOCRATIC CIVIL WAR

Seven Democratic senators, including an independent who is in discussions with them, and six Democrats in the House of Representatives voted last week in favor of reopening the government, without extending the Obamacare pandemic subsidies that Democrats had been demanding since the start of the confinement on October 1.

The revolt within the party highlighted a growing divide between Democratic leaders and their left flank, as progressive candidates accused Schumer of ceding influence to Republicans in exchange for a funding deal that left key health care priorities up in the air.

“We have federal workers across the country who haven’t received their paychecks. We have SNAP recipients, millions of SNAP recipients across the country whose access to food stability was in jeopardy, and we need to understand what that was for,” Ocasio-Cortez said last week, before adding: “We cannot allow this kind of cruelty with our cowardice.”

Back on Capitol Hill this week, Democrats were less willing to blame Schumer for Democrats breaking ranks, instead blaming Republicans for the ultimatum.

Representative Robert Garcia, Democrat of California, speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill July 17, 2023, in Washington, DC (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Asked if the shutdown was worth it, California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital that Democrats “should absolutely continue to fight for health care.”

And Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., said, “I don’t think you can look at a shutdown from that kind of perspective” on whether it was worth it.

“I think what is absolutely clear is that Republicans are now responsible for this health care crisis,” McBride added. “Americans understand very clearly that it is Republicans who will stop at nothing to prevent a vote on the Affordable Care Act tax credit, including being willing to shut down the government.”

“I voted against reopening without having achieved the changes in health care and without having responded to the spikes in the increase in health care. That remains the goal, that remains the work before us,” said Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, asked on the same question and without answering if the government is heading towards another shutdown.

Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, speaks during a press conference in Washington, DC, June 11, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Democrats who spoke to Fox News Digital said they hope the government isn’t heading toward another shutdown, but maintained the party should continue to fight for health care guarantees.

While the government reopened last week, the stopgap funding bill only keeps federal spending at current FY 2025 levels through Jan. 30 to give Congress more time to negotiate a longer-term appropriations package for FY 2026. If Congress fails to reach consensus, the government could be headed for another shutdown.

As part of a behind-the-scenes deal to reopen the government, Senate Democrats were promised a separate vote on expanding health care subsidies.

Senator Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, attends the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, August 20, 2024. (Vincent Alban/Reuters)

“I certainly hope we avoid another government shutdown, but, again, Republicans have promised a vote on extending health care tax credit subsidies. If they fail to get that vote, or if the vote fails, they will be responsible. They will be held accountable,” Blumenthal said.

And Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, said he looked forward to Republicans having the opportunity to put themselves on the record by voting on health care guarantees next December.

As for whether the government is headed for another shutdown, Kelly said, “(You) have to ask the president and the Republicans in the House and Senate. »

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Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kristen Gillibrand and Elissa Slotkin did not respond to Fox News Digital’s question about whether the shutdown was worth it, and their offices did not immediately respond to further inquiries.

When reached for comment, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson flipped the script on Democrats, who placed blame for the government shutdown on Republicans.

“Democrats shut down the government and inflicted great pain on the American people because they wanted to use struggling families as ‘leverage’ for their far-left agenda,” Jackson told Fox News Digital.

“President Trump foiled their absurd gamble and brought another victory to the American people, but it is alarming that even after their ploy failed, Democrats still cannot admit that their shutdown hurt the American people,” she added.