The 40-day government shutdown appears to be winding down, but not everyone is happy with how it’s ending. Critics are furious that a key bloc of Democratic senators essentially caved to President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress.
Democrats had claimed the shutdown was about extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
However, Sunday night’s deal only tees up a separate vote on the issue next month, which many observers expect will fail.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the capitulation “pathetic.”
“This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender,” he added on his Press Office account. “Don’t bend the knee!”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called Sunday’s move “a very, very bad vote” because of how it will raise insurance premiums.
“This is not a deal — it’s an empty promise,” wrote Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. “Trump and his Republican Congress are making healthcare more expensive for the middle class and ending it for working families.”
Progressive lawmakers in Congress not only slammed the deal, but trashed party leadership as well. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) even called on his counterparts in the Senate to replace Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Critics on social media went even further, including many Democratic supporters who are angry with their party for caving to Trump and the Republicans controlling Congress.
