After 41 days of gridlock, eight Senate Democrats broke ranks Sunday and joined Republicans in moving to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — but Sen. Tammy Baldwin wasn’t among them. The Wisconsin Democrat said she will oppose the bipartisan deal, arguing it doesn’t go far enough to guarantee extended health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.
Under the compromise, the Department of Agriculture, FDA, VA, and military construction programs would be funded through the full fiscal year, while other agencies would receive funding through Jan. 30. In exchange, the Trump administration agreed to rehire workers terminated at the start of the shutdown, and Senate Republicans promised a December vote on extending ACA subsidies — a key Democratic demand.
Baldwin rejected the deal, saying “a wink and a nod to deal with this health care crisis later — with no actual guarantees — is just not enough for me or the Wisconsin families I work for.” (RELATED: Wisconsin Legislators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Compensation for Wrongly Convicted)
Her refusal underscores growing fractures among Democrats, as progressives accuse party leaders of caving to GOP pressure. “This moment requires us to fight, not fold,” said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker to WPR.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R–WI) criticized Democrats for prolonging the standoff, calling it a “huge mistake” that only highlights the failures of Obamacare. Johnson reintroduced legislation to prevent future shutdowns by automatically extending prior-year funding for two weeks when Congress fails to pass new spending bills; a measure Democrats have twice blocked.
Premiums for the average 40-year-old Wisconsinite are projected to rise 23 percent next year without the enhanced tax credits, from $495 to $611 for a mid-level plan. Johnson said he’s open to short-term relief but insists the focus should be on reforming the system that drives “skyrocketing premiums masked by hundreds of billions in subsidies.”
With federal workers still furloughed, air traffic disruptions mounting, and food assistance funding in jeopardy, Johnson warned that temporary funding bills may not clear Congress until midweek — prolonging uncertainty for families caught in the political crossfire. (RELATED: Timing Raises Eyebrows As Dems End Shutdown Post-Election)
