As Democrats fume this morning over the abandoned resistance by eight U.S. Senators who caucus with the Democrats, the “surrender” — as it’s being labeled — is being portrayed as a new milestone of failure by rank-and-file Democrats who were seeing public opinion polls expressing admiration for their stand, especially on the issue of healthcare costs and extending the ACA tax credits.
[NOTE: Even MAGA-allied Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was knocking Republican leadership for its ineptitude.]
So news that eight Senators had given the GOP its 60 votes– that Angus King of Maine, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire had capitulated under shutdown pressures — undermined what increasingly looked like a winning and populist strategy for Democrats.
The failure in the end of Dems to hold the shutdown line spoils a favorite recent activity of politicians on the left, who could watch President Trump’s poll numbers plummet — and the President rage on social media — as Americans broadly blamed the Trump administration and congressional Republicans for the shutdown.
Anger at Democrats who caved nearly overwhelmed anger at the Republicans who refused to negotiate, as self-lacerating responses from Democrats were largely aimed at their own “traitor eight” — as one pundit called Kaine and company.
Among Dems, Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) was notable in her response in that it remembered to call out Republicans too, emphasizing that GOP intransigence led to what those abandoning the fight characterized as an untenable shutdown impasse which was intolerably impacting their constituencies.
Jacobs wrote: “Both Senate Democrats and Republicans have failed in their responsibility to address the health care crisis and rein in a dangerous president who consistently ignores Congress’s authority and the rule of law.”
Both Senate Democrats and Republicans have failed in their responsibility to address the health care crisis and rein in a dangerous president who consistently ignores Congress’s authority and the rule of law. This “deal” is offensive to the American people and I won’t support it.
— Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (@RepSaraJacobs) November 10, 2025
Jacobs, commenting on her own post, reminded her followers that the Republican position remains unpopular and, she asserts, lacking in compassion.
She wrote: “We shouldn’t forget that we are in this place to begin with because Republicans have refused to address the health care crisis at all, and are literally fighting in the courts to NOT feed hungry Americans.”
But we shouldn’t forget that we are in this place to begin with because Republicans have refused to address the health care crisis at all, and are literally fighting in the courts to NOT feed hungry Americans. They’re not the heroes here.
— Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (@RepSaraJacobs) November 10, 2025
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called the vote a “very, very bad vote” and mainly excoriated those on the left, including his fellow Vermont Senator King. Sanders called attention to elections across the nation last week which appeared to demonstrate a rejection of the Republican agenda, with two Democratic governors elected and the first Democratic Socialist mayor of New York City. Sanders concluded that these results meant the American people “want us to stand up to Trumpism.”
Tonight was a very bad night. pic.twitter.com/t2rM48XEyV
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 10, 2025