After 42 days of obstinacy, the Democratic Party did what they do best: they folded. Ostensibly, Senate Democrats shut down the Federal Government to protest the lapse in subsidies for Obamacare. Voters rewarded their stubbornness last week, when Democrat candidates swept elections in Virginia and New Jersey. And yet, with the chips down on the table, the Democrats suddenly voted last night to extend government funding through January. They will leave this shutdown with no tangible gains, not even the Obamacare subsidies they claimed they desired.
The deal to reopen the Federal Government is the same deal Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered Democrats at the onset of the shutdown: the Senate will vote on a bill of the Democrats’ choosing before the year’s end. No subsidies, no guarantees. It’s unlikely that Speaker Mike Johnson will allow voting on the bill in the House of Representatives. Democrats will get a mere Senate vote on a bill that is doomed from the start. Why, then, did Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries shut down Washington in the first place? The answer is simple: the Democrats are an unserious political party that is incapable of representing even their own strongest supporters.
In retrospect, Democrats threw their voting base under the bus for no tangible returns. Food stamps were cut from the indigent. Federal employees missed paychecks; many missed rent or mortgage payments. Thousands of Deep State workers were fired. If not for the generosity of a private donor, millions of military service members would have missed their paydays, as well. Air travel began to grind to halt; air traffic controllers called out “sick.” The Democrats endangered the economy, the military, and continuity of government without accomplishing any strategic objectives.
The New York Young Republican Club congratulates John Thune and the Senate Republicans for leading the GOP through this chaos. The Democratic Party is a poor reflection of their constituents; they know no better than to flip the chess table when their ambitions exceed their ability. As the 2026 Midterm Elections approach, voters should remember how elected Democrats needlessly damaged their own voting base. Republicans stand for calm, decisive leadership, stability, and strength. If Democrats did nothing else with this shutdown, the American People now know who to trust with their futures.