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A handful of Democrats defended the far-left portion of their base upset over Democrat Senators caving to Republicans to end the government shutdown.
“I think they are rightfully disappointed. At the end of the day, we took on this fight for more than 40 days to make healthcare more affordable, being one of the primary goals that we had in this fight and to see us give in now at the end of the is something that’s incredibly frustrating, incredibly disappointing for myself included,” Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., told Fox News Digital on the steps of the Capitol after the longest government shutdown that estimates expect to cost the government between $7 billion ad $14 billion.
“We needed to stay fighting,” Rep. Shri Thanedar said. “The stronger our resolve to fight, the more successful we would have been. But it looked like there was always some people in the U.S. Senate that were never on board to continue this fight.”
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Congressman Shomari Figures, D-Ala., speaks at a press conference on healthcare with other members of the House Democratic caucus in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on November 12, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Earlier this week, eight Senate Democrats agreed to give Republicans the votes they needed to pass their budget and reopen the government until the end of January. They provided the support in exchange for a few compromises, notably a promised mid-December vote on whether to extend the Obamacare subsidies that expire at the end of the year.
“We had a moment right now where we needed fighters. We need people to be here and stand up and lay it on the line,” Figures added. “As we say in Alabama, we need big dogs right now. We don’t need porch puppies. If you’re not here for this fight, if you’re not willing to be engaged in this and willing to lay it on the line for people that are counting on us, then you need to reconsider it.”
After the budget finally passed following the longest government shutdown in history that left about 1.4 million federal employees going unpaid, according to the largest labor union representing federal workers, Democrat Rho Khana began fundraising off the anger within the Democratic Party, according to Politico.
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Protester holds sign in Washington, D.C. to rally against Republican reforms to Medicaid. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Caring Across Generations)
“A lot of people are rightfully concerned about skyrocketing health care costs,” Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., told Fox News Digital, but noted she “can’t speak for the base” when asked about their anger at Democrat leaders for giving in.
“I can’t speak for the base, I can say that, you know, a lot of people are rightfully concerned about skyrocketing health care costs, in addition to skyrocketing housing costs, grocery costs,” she said. “Anybody getting ready for Thanksgiving right now is seeing that. And we haven’t been able to resolve that. We haven’t gotten the Republicans to even come to the table.”
The House Progressive caucus, in a letter by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., condemned the deal Democrats made, arguing it does nothing to stop people’s healthcare premiums from going up, or losing their coverage altogether. Even the Democratic Party’s primary House campaigning arm instructed lawmakers to hold Republicans “accountable” for the shutdown.
A press conference podium stands on the steps of the capital waiting for lawmakers to discuss healthcare issues. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, the Democrat disarray has not gone unnoticed.
“Now the knives are out for him,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ Jesse Waters.
“The Democratic Party is entirely shattered in this ideological battle that they’re having,” noted Josh Holmes, co-host of the “”RUTHLESS” podcast. “I think it continues for quite some time.”
