Bluesky was melting down yesterday and today over the eight Democrat senators who voted with the Republicans to end the shutdown. Coming on the heels of a massive win in elections the week before, the Democrats apparently threw away their best chance to extend the ACA subsidies in exchange for a promise to get a vote on legislation about thirty to sixty days out. There is no indication the vote will be in the Democrats' favour, especially in both houses.
Most blame Chuck Schumer for not having better control over the caucus.
Many noted that all the senators who voted for ending the shutdown are either retiring or not up for re-election next year. From this they conclude Schumer actively decided to end the shutdown and found eight senators in safe districts to vote for it. The posters also noted the vote was held after last week's elections, presumably so as not to affect the Democrats' chances of winning.
A great many Democrats are decrying the vote to end the shutdown as a capitulation to the Republicans and a massive disgrace to the their party. They're calling for Schumer to resign as leader.
Nobody has hinted that Schumer may have also been working behind the scenes to secure Republican votes for the promised ACA subsidy vote thirty to sixty days from now. But if he has those cards and will be playing them over the next month or two, and actually gets the ACA subsidies restored, that would be a massive political win despite the heat he's taking now. But that's the only good that can come out of this, and it's not looking at all promising right now.
