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Democrats on the deal
The biggest tell of how the shutdown deal is playing politically may be the reaction of basically any candidate for Senate who is facing voters next year.
In Georgia
Sen. Jon Ossoff, the most vulnerable Democrat in 2026, joined Sen. Raphael Warnock in voting against the deal, warning that it would double health care premiums for 1.4 million Georgians.
“With health care votes ahead, the question is whether Republicans in Congress will join us to prevent catastrophic increases in health insurance premiums,” Ossoff said.
In Michigan
Three of the Democrats running for the Senate nomination in Michigan next year — U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed — have centered their campaigns on congressional dysfunction. All three strongly opposed the shutdown deal.
Stevens said that the deal “doesn’t work for Michigan” and that she will need “a whole lot more than empty promises” that costs will be lowered. McMorrow said in a recent campaign video that “we have to do things differently,” noting that the “old way” is not working, and called for new Senate leaders. And El-Sayed labeled the move “a s––– deal” and slammed Democrats for giving up the only leverage they had, adding, “I don’t know what is worse, Trump’s cruelty or fecklessness in the face of cruelty.”
In Maine
Both Gov. Janet Mills and political newcomer Graham Platner slammed the deal, although their slightly different tones indicated the divide in the race. Platner described the deal as a disaster and called for new leadership, stating, “Chuck Schumer failed in his job yet again.”
Mills, encouraged by Senate Minority Leader Schumer to get into the race in the first place, called out her party more obliquely. “Maine people deserve affordable health care — not just the promise of a vote that won’t go anywhere,” she wrote on X. “Fight back.”
What does it all mean?
It’s hard to imagine that the reaction could be any more universal. And it tells us that there is pretty unanimous frustration with the old way of doing things in Washington and a demand for a tougher approach, especially in the age of Donald Trump. And, more important, it is a reminder that lowering the cost of health care remains a fight worth having. “Why is the Democratic leadership tolerating Chuck Schumer? He is an embarrassment and out of touch with voters.” — Catharine Pomerleau, Buckerfield, Maine Hi Catharine, There is hardly anything about institutions or leaders in Washington that is popular right now. And while Chuck Schumer was once a great Senate majority leader, it’s pretty clear by any metric that it’s time for new blood at the top. It is hard to imagine that he remains in a leadership position past the midterm elections next year. And the good news is there is a crop of rising stars who could jump into that job. Every week, Jen selects a question to answer from a newsletter subscriber. If you have a question for Jen, submit it here and subscribe to the newsletter and for a chance to be featured in a future edition. For the latest episode of the “The Blueprint” podcast, I sat down with Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost for a conversation about what the Senate’s deal to reopen the government means for Americans’ fight for more affordable health care and the future of leadership in the Democratic party. Subscribe now and never miss an episode.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden. Recommended
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