Democrats’ Election Night Sweep Has Emboldened Them in the Shutdown Fight

Just as Senate Democrats started to contemplate a deal with Republicans to end the government shutdown this week, their big Election Day wins gave them new fuel to stand firm on their health care demands.

“That did not take rocket science to figure out who’s on the right side to lower health care costs,” Vermont Sen. Peter Welch told NOTUS about Tuesday night’s results. “It should be a message to our Republican colleagues that the affordability agenda is what the Democrats won on.”

Democrats had started to feel the mounting pressure of expiring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding and missed air traffic controller paychecks as the shutdown hit the record for longest of all time on Wednesday. After a nearly three hour meeting on Tuesday, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said Democrats had a difference of opinion over whether to accept a vote to extend Affordable Care Act tax subsidies, but were making “progress” toward a consensus to swiftly resolve the shutdown.

That evening, however, Democrats swept key, high-profile races in New Jersey, California, Virginia and New York City. Now, Democrats sound emboldened to hold the line while Republicans squirm.

“What are these election results?” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked reporters. “They’re a bolt of lightning and a wake up call to Donald Trump to start working with us to end this crisis. The takeaway from last night was unmistakable.”

By Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump seemed to share Schumer’s conclusion.

“I thought we’d have a discussion after the press leaves about what last night represented, and what we should do about it,” Trump told Senate Republicans Wednesday. “And also about the shutdown, how that relates to last night. I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans.”

The biggest problem impeding negotiations is Democrats want assurances on health care tax credits before voting on re-opening the government — but Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday that Trump will not talk to Democrats until the federal government is funded first.

“I talked to the President just moments ago and he said, ‘I’m happy to sit down with them as soon as they open the government,’” Thune told reporters. “The Obamacare fix is something that I think the President is willing to have a conversation with them about, but we have to get the government open first.”

Sen. Adam Schiff suggested in a brief interview Wednesday that Trump’s remarks to Senate Republicans highlight the weakened argument Republicans are making in opposition to Democrats’ fight for health care after Tuesday’s election results.

“I’m hoping that, as the president seemed to acknowledge this morning, his insistence on the shutdown, his handling of the shutdown, is hurting him and his party,” Schiff told NOTUS. “I hope it will add to the pressure that they come to the table and help us address the health care crisis they created.”

A series of talking points circulating in progressive Democratic circles is claiming victory for the election results, adding that their fight against Trump and for health care is why Democrats can’t cave against Republican wishes, according to a copy that was obtained by NOTUS.

Senators from states with major elections also said they feel empowered by the strong voter support.

“I think President Trump certainly feels weaker, and I think he said so,” Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey said.

“I think the Republicans see that they are on the wrong side, not just of the shutdown, but the American people, overwhelmingly,” Kim continued. “I mean, even in some of the most Republican areas of New Jersey, we saw very strong condemnation of what’s happening. So this was a resounding defeat for Donald Trump and he should have woke up this morning and just immediately said, ‘We need to negotiate.’”

Republicans aren’t totally convinced.

“I believe 100-to-1 that the Democrats are responsible for what in the crap is going on,” Republican Sen. Jim Justice told reporters.

“But really and truly if we don’t watch out, we’re gonna screw around and have a midterm calamity like we can’t imagine,” he continued. “And in all fairness our ability to message has never been as good as the Democrats’ ability to message. And so we just, we truly, you know, this situation is not good. It’s not good, in my opinion, any way you cut it.”

Conservative Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville called on Democrats to “come to their senses” and work with Republicans to reopen the government.

“But who knows?” he added. “They need to step up and open the government back up where we can have some dialogue, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson did not show signs of relenting Wednesday morning, putting the onus on Senate Democrats to vote for a short-term government funding patch.

“[Trump] and I talked about it this morning. We woke up very early and we talked about the outcome, and I reminded him that, as we know from history, those of us who watch these things very closely and always do in an off-year election, it is not indicative of what happens next,” Johnson told reporters.

“I think when we go into next year, we’re very bullish about the outcome. We have an extraordinary record to run on,” Johnson said.

California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla had a vastly different interpretation.

“The message was sent loud and clear by voters,” Padilla told NOTUS, “but we’ll see if Republicans are willing to hear it.”