Democrats refuse to fold over shutdown as Republican outrage builds

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Sat 11 Oct 2025 06.00 EDT
Last modified on Sat 11 Oct 2025 06.02 EDT


When he sat down to talk about the US government shutdown with reporters from a closely read political newsletter this week, Chuck Schumer sounded as if he was relishing his standoff with the Republicans. “Every day gets better for us,” he told Punchbowl News. As the shutdown got under way, Schumer explained, the Republican part believed that Democrats would quickly fold and vote to reopen the government, but instead they had stuck to their guns for a week and a half, demanding an array of concessions on healthcare and other issues.

Outrage followed from Republicans, who printed out the Senate minority leader’s remark on posters and condemned it before press conferences. The shutdown has prompted federal agencies to close or curtail operations nationwide, and forced hundreds of thousands of employees to stay home without immediate pay. Schumer, Republicans argued, was being callous.

“I’ve been asked many times in interviews the last couple days, ‘You seem angry – you don’t get angry a lot.’ I don’t, but this is beyond the pale,” Republican House speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference on Friday morning, the 10th day of the shutdown. “What Chuck Schumer is doing right now, it’s sickening.” Hours later, the White House took it upon itself to increase the misery for government employees when Russ Vought, the director of the office of management and budget, followed through on his threat to carry out layoffs, the extent of which was not immediately clear. Now, it was the Democrats’ turn to accuse the GOP of brutality.

“Let’s be blunt: nobody’s forcing Trump and Vought to do this,” Schumer said in a statement. “They don’t have to do it; they want to. They’re callously choosing to hurt people – the workers who protect our country, inspect our food, respond when disasters strike. This is deliberate chaos.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/11/republicans-democrats-us-government-shutdown

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Thune could call a vote to change the filibuster (cloture) Rule right now and it only needs a simple majority to happen. Then Thune can have the GOP, that is a majority across all 3 branches of government, enact the C.R. without any Democratic input.

And then the GOP can take the blame for any lapse of the ACA subsidies and draconian cuts in Medicaid.

Their whole shtick has been to "blame the libs" for anything that the GOP does.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. BRDS has gamed out the "blame the libs" strategy

For once we have the upper hand. If we made one move this year, and that's about all the power we had, this is a strong suit to wear.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. BRDS?

[BumRushDaShow]

5. ...

[COL Mustard]

15. BRDS Rocks!!!

[Scrivener7]

2. Republicans own this government. So be it.

[Volaris]

10. Yep its leopards and 'have the day you voted for', all the way down.

[Bengus81]

3. Dems in Congress need to refer to them as Republicants, seeing how they love to

always talk about the Democrat party. Fight fire,with fire.....

[OMGWTF]

13. Rethuglicans. They are thugs.

[FakeNoose]

27. Repukes works for me, but you do you

[PSPS]

6. Keep it shut down. Keep it all shut down.

The republicans are squealing because they know this is killing them politically. For one thing, everyone knows that, even if they agree to ... anything, it will just be summarily ignored because trump will continue his illegal "recissions" and "impoundments." Second, more and more people are realizing that this is just another shiny set of keys to distract from and delay the epstein files.

[Tribetime]

7. Poor choice of words sometimes it's better to not say anything

IMHO

[Volaris]

8. This is good. They know theyre fucked, and that the only options they have

are doing it themselves, agreeing to dem concessions, or performative poutrage.

Eventually, the third option won't be an option.

Keep it up, Dems, it's working.

[Skittles]

19. I agree

Dems know people are being hurt but they're looking at the bigger picture, a line in the sand HAD to be drawn

DO NOT BUDGE, DO NOT GIVE ONE INCH TO THESE FASCIST FUCKS

[Exp]

9. I wish Chuck didn't say this " "Every day gets better for us." I mean WTF? He SHOULD have said 'Every day gets worse

for the American people and it is the GOP's doing."

"Better for us??!!""

[LuvLoogie]

11. Schumer is an insular dolt anymore

He needs to get out of Washington. Too old and out of touch. It's a game to him. Fuck that.

Women are getting shot, getting dragged out of their cars by masked Nazis.

[Skittles]

20. THANK YOU

ENOUGH ALREADY, PASS THE FUCKING BATON

[Tribetime]

12. Exactly what I thought myself everybody's suffering

[electric_blue68]

23. Really?!" That's what Chuck said? Geeeebbzzzz.

Last edited Sat Oct 11, 2025, 06:51 PM - Edit history (2)

Your phase, otoh, is the direction he should have taken.
(corrected post for clarity)

[Exp]

24. What a weird response.

[electric_blue68]

25. Ah, I see I wasn't clear enough. Corrected response, i hope

👍

[republianmushroom]

14. Dems are finally starting to grow a set.

Keep it up Dems.

[Skittles]

21. a set of what?

THE most delicate body part?

[Bayard]

16. If Dems give in,

They will continue to be seen as weak, and ineffectual.

Keep pushing the message--This is what rethuglicans want to do to you. We are holding firm against them.

[Deminpenn]

17. Dear Republicans, end the legislative fillibuster then pass your CR.

Triple dog dare you.

[mdbl]

18. The repug congressmen in my state keep sending gaslighting emails

My favorite is this survey which says 65% of the voters want to continue on our previous path. The only problem is, most of the people that voted think nothing's changed since last year and are actually just voting for the carnage from the big ugly bill to continue as is.

[GenThePerservering]

22. For once I'm not annoyed at Schumer

His "Every day gets better for us" is nothing more or less than a taunt at the GOP. His greater remarks are on the needless suffering of the people at the hands of the GOP.

He's usually not this good at the repartee.

[Bread and Circuses]

26. It's about TIME , Dem politicians - Hold Firm.

[Xolodno]

28. Republican can practically give a Master Class on being obstructive on government funding...

...now the shoe is on the other foot, they cry foul when Democrats no longer fold like they expected them to do.

They painted themselves into a corner. If they hold, they will look worse. If they kill the fillibuster and pass the legislation, then they will be blamed for the increase in the cost of healthcare.

They thought Democrats would fold and thus say they were complicit in the rising cost of healthcare. They aren't frustrated and angry about the shutdown, they are frustrated and angry that Democrats are holding the line this time.