Schumer Shutdown: Dems Readying the Towel?

Will Democrats choose tonight to cave on the Schumer Shutdown? Have they already chosen to cave? Earlier today, Senate Democrats again blocked the clean continuing resolution from coming to the floor for the 14th time in the last five weeks, with no movement toward ending the filibuster that has kept the government mainly shuttered since funding ran out on October 1st.

However, something is afoot this afternoon among Chuck Schumer’s caucus, even after Trump’s refusal to budge on SNAP:

Senate Dems having a heck of a family discussion about the shutdown: Press is still waiting for Schumer to make his post-Tuesday lunch appearance

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) November 4, 2025

Schumer on shutdown endgame: “We had a very good caucus and are exploring all the options” pic.twitter.com/x43pW3Its6

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) November 4, 2025

Dem NV Rep Cortez Masto: The conversations amongst the negotiators were brought forth and it was a good conversation about the potential, the opportunities, to work together.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 4, 2025

Whatever could that mean? Schumer has spent the last five weeks insisting that there were no other options. So, for that matter, have John Thune and Donald Trump. Earlier today, as noted above. Trump doubled down on refusing to fund SNAP while Democrats refuse to pass the clean CR. He also demanded that Senate Republicans eliminate the filibuster and pass it by a simple majority, which Thune refuses to do. 

Earlier today, the Wall Street Journal got wind of a potential end approaching. Senate Democrats had begun to warm to the idea of a commitment to a vote for their ACA subsidies, but without any firm commitment toward passage:

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) on Tuesday outlined a pathway forward, pointing to the possibility of combining a new short-term bill to reopen the government with some of the 12 annual appropriations bills that fund federal agencies. He said that the off-ramp was focused on giving Democrats a vote on an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies along with plans for the spending bills.

“I’ve said this before, but the question is whether or not they’ll take ‘yes’ for the answer,” Thune said. …

Some Democrats were drawing hard lines. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) said he couldn’t vote to fund the government with only the promise of a future vote on extending the expiring subsidies. “I don’t trust them,” he said. “A show vote—I just don’t trust that they’re going to go do it.”

He noted that even if the Senate made a deal, the measure also would have to get the green light from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and his conference, many of who have taken a dim view of ACA subsidies.

Later in the afternoon, Axios reported movement on that front, but not among Republicans in either chamber. Hakeem Jeffries apparently is willing to forgo any “ironclad” vote guarantees as a condition of passing another CR or full spending bills:

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday signaled he is willing to walk back his pre-shutdown demand for an “ironclad” deal on Affordable Care Act subsidies in exchange for funding the government. …

• Jeffries said at a press conference in September, ahead of the shutdown, that “any agreement related to protecting the health care of the American people has to be ironclad and in legislation.”
• The Democratic leader said at that time that there was “no trust” between House Democrats and Republicans, and that, as a result, he couldn’t rely on the mere promise of a vote or negotiations.
• But any Senate deal is likely to only involve the promise of a vote on extending ACA subsidies — which may or may not even pass.

At the moment, nothing is settled. However, these signals at least suggest that Democrats are looking for an exit ramp with as much face-saving cover as they can get to end a truly pointless shutdown. After the polls close tonight in New Jersey and Virginia, Schumer will have nothing to lose by throwing in the towel. All that’s needed now is a believable pretext for why passing the CR now is somehow the right call but blocking it for five weeks gained Democrats something worth the pain the shutdown inflicted on their supposed core constituencies.

Or maybe Schumer will just hope that TDS will induce voters to forget this episode a year from now. Stay tuned. 

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is still here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

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