Democrat Senator Murphy Lets the Cat out of the Bag on Shutdown Ulterior Motive [WATCH]

The federal government shutdown stretched further into the week after Senate Democrats blocked a continuing resolution, with one prominent Democrat admitting that political messaging played a role in the decision.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) appeared on The Jim Acosta Show Thursday, where he acknowledged that Democrats were using the shutdown not only to advance their policy demands but also to project strength to voters.

“People want to see us fighting. They want to see us have a backbone. They want to know how we’re different from Donald Trump,” Murphy told Acosta.

“And when we don’t fight hard, especially when the entire enterprise of democracy is at risk, then we don’t seem sincere when we tell people that there might not be a free and fair election in 2026.”

Murphy added that Democrats are attempting to “signal” to Americans by holding firm in the negotiations.

“What we’re doing here is protecting our constituents, but we’re also signaling to people how urgent the moment is by being willing to hold the line here,” he said.

The comments came after the Senate failed on Tuesday to pass a seven-week continuing resolution.

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The measure, designed to temporarily fund the government, fell short of the 60 votes required to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

As the shutdown continued, it began to affect healthcare services across the country.

Coverage for telehealth and home care services expired at midnight on Wednesday, leaving millions of Medicare beneficiaries without access to care.

Despite this, many Democrats said they would not soften their approach. The Daily Caller News Foundation reported that more than ten Democratic senators confirmed they would continue their hardball strategy.

Murphy told the outlet he was not aware that certain healthcare services had been frozen as a result of the shutdown.

“I haven’t seen any list of, you know, services they’re cutting,” Murphy said.

He also suggested that the Trump administration bore responsibility for lapses in coverage, despite Democrats’ votes directly blocking the continuing resolution.

The Democrats’ counter-proposal to reopen the government includes billions in foreign aid and funding for public broadcasting, while removing a $50 million fund for rural health providers.

The proposal would also permanently extend Obamacare subsidies first enacted during Joe Biden’s administration.

Republicans have opposed those provisions, saying they amount to partisan policy demands unrelated to keeping the government open.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has led Democrats in holding out for these priorities, a move Republicans say is designed to score political points rather than reach compromise.

GOP lawmakers and analysts told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Schumer intentionally allowed the shutdown to proceed in order to bolster his standing with the party’s left wing, particularly as Democrats face declining approval ratings.

Republicans argue that Democrats’ actions have left millions of Americans without critical services.

They also contend that the shutdown could have been avoided if Democrats had agreed to the short-term continuing resolution that maintained government operations while negotiations over policy continued.

As the shutdown moves through its first week, talks remain stalled.

Democrats continue to press for their package of provisions, while Republicans insist on reopening the government before addressing larger healthcare and subsidy issues.

HOLY CRAP! Senator John Kennedy exposed on the Senate floor that several of the funding provisions Democrats are demanding to open the government include… pic.twitter.com/gO6FsEZ1t2

…$4M for LGBTQ in Uganda and the Western Balkans, $3.6M for cooking classes and dance focus…

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 3, 2025

The stalemate has left federal employees furloughed, Medicare beneficiaries facing cuts in services, and lawmakers locked in a political battle with no resolution in sight.

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