The Senate on Sunday approved a deal aimed at reopening the federal government.
Eight senators — seven Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats — switched their votes to support the agreement. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Then came the moment of truth — Sen. Angus King finally said the quiet part out loud. He admitted that Democrats caved because their strategy “was not working.” In other words, they folded.
It was a rare bit of honesty from Washington — an open acknowledgment that this entire shutdown fiasco was their doing from the start. They held the government hostage over healthcare subsidies, got nothing in return, and now they’re trying to spin their surrender as “progress.”
A Democrat senator who helped keep the shutdown alive is now admitting the truth: he caved because the strategy had completely collapsed.
Sen. Angus King told reporters he voted for the compromise funding deal for one simple reason — “it wasn’t working.”
And he openly… pic.twitter.com/aD9awqpXzO
— Overton (@overton_news) November 10, 2025
King said:
“Because it wasn’t working. How long would it take to get a response to say it isn’t working? In other words, it’s been six weeks. Republicans made it clear they weren’t going to discuss the healthcare issue – the Affordable Care Act tax credits – until the shutdown was over. We tried to keep working that for six weeks. It didn’t happen.
The vote that we have – it’s not a guarantee, for sure…there was zero chance of dealing with the ACA as long as the shutdown continued.”
King tried to spin it as some kind of win, claiming Democrats had “increased their chances” on the healthcare issue by securing an agreement to hold a discussion or vote. But here’s the problem — Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) had already offered them a vote weeks ago if they’d just end the shutdown. They could’ve taken that deal anytime and spared the country all this chaos.
What we’re seeing now is pure damage control. Democrats are basically admitting their strategy blew up in their faces. They didn’t get what they wanted, Republicans didn’t cave, and there’s still no guarantee they’ll even get a vote on Obamacare subsidies in the House.
Meanwhile, their party is in full meltdown mode. The progressive wing is losing its mind — Bernie Sanders is fuming, and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is openly calling for Chuck Schumer’s head. The left’s shutdown stunt backfired spectacularly, and now they’re turning on each other.
Schumer really shot himself in the foot here. If he thought this stunt was going to make him look “tough” to the progressive base, it backfired spectacularly. He would’ve been better off cutting a deal from the start. Instead, he dragged the country through a pointless shutdown, made himself look weak, and got nothing in return.
It’s also hard to ignore the timing — this looks a lot like Democrats trying to stall until after the election to give themselves a political boost. But that plan blew up, too. Their base is furious, moderates are unimpressed, and Schumer is taking the blame.
Credit where it’s due: Republicans held the line. They exposed just how cynical Democrats have become — willing to hurt ordinary Americans for a bit of political theater. And the kicker? The shutdown reminded everyone that Obamacare is still a broken system that needs massive taxpayer subsidies to function. If that’s the hill Democrats want to die on, they picked the right one.
