Jeffries Turns on His Own Party Over Failed Shutdown Strategy

After more than 40 days of a Democrat-led government shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is fuming—this time at his fellow Democrats. As negotiations with Republicans gained momentum to reopen the government, Jeffries lashed out at his party for backing down without securing yet another round of costly Obamacare subsidies.

“House Democrats have consistently maintained that bipartisan legislation that funds the government must also decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis,” Jeffries said in a statement.

“For seven weeks, Democrats in the House and Senate have waged a valiant fight on behalf of the American people,” the statement continued. “It now appears that Senate Republicans will send the House of Representatives a spending bill that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

“As a result of the Republican refusal to address the healthcare crisis that they have created, tens of millions of everyday Americans are going to see their costs skyrocket. Many will not be able to afford a doctor when they or their children need one,” it continued.

“America is far too expensive. We will not support spending legislation advanced by Senate Republicans that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. We will fight the GOP bill in the House of Representatives, where Mike Johnson will be compelled to end the seven-week Republican taxpayer-funded vacation,” it said.

The statement concluded: “Donald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it.”

Democrats’ Shutdown Gamble Collapses

Despite Jeffries’ fiery rhetoric, the reality is that it was Democrats who chose to keep the government closed for nearly six weeks, blocking funding for millions of federal employees, service members, and families relying on SNAP and other essential benefits. The party’s strategy—holding out for expanded Obamacare subsidies—has now unraveled.

Democrats originally sold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a cure for America’s healthcare system back in 2010, pushing it through without a single Republican vote. They promised lower costs and expanded access, yet premiums skyrocketed, insurers fled, and taxpayers were left footing the bill for hundreds of billions in subsidies.

This year’s standoff followed the same pattern: more government control, more spending, and little to show for it.

Senate Democrats Break Ranks

By Sunday night, the pressure was too much to bear. Eight Senate Democrats broke with party leadership and joined Republicans in voting to end the shutdown—a major victory for President Donald J. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Among the Democrats who voted with Republicans were Angus King (I-Maine), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat.

Senator King admitted the obvious: “The question was, does the shutdown further the goal of achieving some needed support for the extension of the tax credits? Our judgment was that it will not. It would not produce that result. And the evidence for that is almost seven weeks of fruitless attempts to make that happen.”

In other words, Democrats shut down the government for 41 days—and got nothing.

A Win for Fiscal Sanity

The bipartisan agreement now heading to the House represents a return to governance and fiscal responsibility. While Jeffries and the party’s progressive wing are raging about the deal, moderates in both parties finally recognized that Americans were tired of political theater and wanted their government back open.

President Donald Trump’s leadership in pushing for a practical resolution once again underscores his administration’s focus on results over rhetoric. The shutdown, prolonged by Democrat obstruction, ended only after the opposition’s internal fractures became impossible to hide.