Here Are the Democrats Who Just Threw Americans Under the Bus 

The Democratic Party folds faster than a lawn chair in a hurricane.

Politics
Here Are the Democrats Who Just Threw Americans Under the Bus 
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) during a press conference on November 9. Photo: Getty Images

Fights really love to see a Democrat coming—since there’s never been a fight the party hasn’t almost immediately surrendered to and walked away from. Why should the longest-ever government shutdown be any different?!

On Sunday night, seven Democrats plus one Independent broke ranks and voted with Republicans in a deal to reopen the government. For weeks, Democrats have refused to agree to a funding deal unless it ensured that federal subsidies for people on Obamacare were extended. They’re currently set to expire at the end of the year and would affect millions of Americans.

But the deal these Dems just agreed to does not extend these crucial subsidies. To get them to throw Americans under the bus, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) merely promised that there’d be a vote in mid-December if Dems bring forth an extension bill. But since Republicans control *checks notes* all three branches of government, it seems unlikely they’ll suddenly have a change of heart in a few weeks and vote to pass a bill on extending the subsidies they’re refusing to compromise on right now. But, you know, que será, será, I guess.

None of these useless politicians are up for reelection in 2026 (interesting!), and two of them are retiring next year, but here they are:

  • Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada
  • Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois (retiring) 
  • Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania
  • Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire
  • Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia
  • Sen. Angus King of Maine
  • Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada
  • Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire (retiring)

Fetterman, who’s basically a Republican at this point anyway, has been voting with the GOP since the shutdown began, so he was always a lost cause. Cortez Masto has also voted 15 times with Republicans to end the shutdown, saying she feels bad about “the impending health care crisis,” but that there are too many people in line for food banks in Nevada. Hassan similarly told reporters Sunday night that “I’ve heard from Granite Staters who can’t afford a doubling of their health insurance costs. I’ve also heard from families about the deep pain that the government shutdown has caused.”

Meanwhile, the GOP has essentially held hostage the contingency plan necessary to keep SNAP running during the shutdown, while President Donald Trump continues to throw lavish Mar-a-Lago parties.

So congrats to these stellar leaders for proving that the only thing more reliable than Trump’s swollen ankles is the Democratic Party’s ability to fold faster than a lawn chair in a hurricane.


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