Congressional Democrats say they feel emboldened in their push to preserve health care benefits amid the shutdown of the federal government after resounding victories in Tuesday鈥檚 elections in 黑料吃瓜网 and across the country.
The elections were seen as a potential barometer for how voters are feeling about the shutdown and whether it might be a turning point in the stalemate. The shutdown reached its 36th day on Wednesday, becoming the longest in U.S. history as SNAP beneficiaries await partial November benefits and travel delays persist.
As lawmakers in both parties try to assign meaning to the off-year elections that mainly happened in blue states, 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 U.S. senators are arguing that the favorable election results and the focus on affordability show voters want Democrats to keep pushing on health care, specifically the . And they believe that could bring President Donald Trump and Republicans to the negotiating table.
鈥淲e just had a referendum on Dems鈥� approach to the shutdown, and even Trump admits it,鈥� U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said Wednesday, referring to the president鈥檚 comments that the for Republicans鈥� electoral losses. 鈥淚t sounds like it鈥檚 a good time for Democrats to make sure that we protect the people we said we鈥檙e fighting to protect.鈥�
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., looks at a poster during a news conference about SNAP benefits, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Credit: Jacquelyn Martin / AP
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 senators aren鈥檛 involved in the among a group of bipartisan senators who are exploring ways out of the shutdown. Pressure is building to resolve it, with the uncertainty of nutrition aid and other services and a federal workforce that isn鈥檛 getting paid. A potential deal could involve passing some full-year funding bills and reopening the government if Republicans promise to hold a vote on extending the health care subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
But that framework is catching some flak from other Democrats. And Murphy and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., maintain the party must hold firm and not accept any deal that undermines what they鈥檝e been pushing for over the past month.
鈥淚t would be very odd, right after the country rewarded Democrats for taking a stand and fighting for us, to immediately stop fighting,鈥� Murphy said.
For Blumenthal, a realistic compromise would include more than a 鈥渧ague promise鈥� that they鈥檒l get a vote in the Senate to extend the enhanced premium subsidies, especially if the House has no commitment to bring it to a vote.
鈥淚 am unwilling to settle for a vote on some undetermined bill at some indefinite point in the future with no real commitment from the president or the speaker of the House, which seems to me a betrayal of all we鈥檝e been fighting to uphold, and we鈥檝e come this far,鈥� Blumenthal said. 鈥淭he American people seem to be on our side. We really owe it to them to stand firm at this point and say we need a commitment to extend the health insurance premium subsidy.鈥�
In statewide and municipal races, Democrats had a good night across the board in the first major elections since the 2024 presidential election, when Republicans scored a political trifecta, winning the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Democrats won the governor鈥檚 mansion in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as a nail-biter race in Virginia鈥檚 attorney general race, where the Democratic candidate won despite the disclosure of violent texts suggesting a state GOP leader deserved to be shot.
In 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 municipal elections, Democrats across the state, flipping seats controlled by Republicans in the cities of New Britain and Norwich and suburbs of Branford and Westport. Democrats also fared well by defeating GOP incumbents in Ansonia, Bristol, Stratford and Milford.
鈥淚n 黑料吃瓜网, in the small towns and cities, we had a momentous blue wave,鈥� Blumenthal said. 鈥淭he national press tends to focus on New Jersey and Virginia and California. But what we鈥檙e seeing really is at the very grassroots local level, a really massive shift, a seismic shift in my opinion.鈥�
But Republican leaders in Congress dismissed the idea that the shutdown played a role in last night鈥檚 elections. And they are still trying to put pressure on Democrats to support the short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, that would reopen the government, though the bill that the Senate has repeatedly voted on would only keep things funded through Nov. 21. Lawmakers acknowledge they will likely need to vote on another one with a later date to give them more time to negotiate full-year spending bills.
鈥淪urely Democrats have hit enough milestones. The election is over,鈥� Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday morning as the Senate gaveled in. 鈥淪o the question is 鈥� can the American people get a break now? Democrats should be embarrassed that federal workers are lining up at food banks and missing bills and in danger of losing homes or cars because Democrats can鈥檛 summon enough members to support a clean, nonpartisan funding resolution.鈥�
That conflicted with Trump鈥檚 own assessment that the shutdown hampered Republicans on the ballot 鈥� as well as the fact that Trump wasn鈥檛 on the ballot and GOP candidates couldn鈥檛 benefit from any coattails.
鈥淚 think, if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor,鈥� Trump told reporters Wednesday as he met with Republican lawmakers for breakfast. 鈥淣egative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor. And they say that I wasn鈥檛 on the ballot and was the biggest factor. But I don鈥檛 know about that. But I was honored that they said that.鈥�
Post-election, Democrats are renewing their push to meet with Trump and Republicans about the shutdown. But it is unclear where any meaningful negotiations stand beyond the group of bipartisan senators who are trying to break the impasse.
There鈥檚 still an indication Trump wants Republicans to do it on their own and circumvent the need for Democratic votes. The president is pushing for Republicans to get rid of the filibuster 鈥� the 60-vote threshold needed to advance bills in the Senate 鈥� but GOP leadership says the votes aren鈥檛 there to ax that procedure. Because of it, Republicans need at least seven Democratic senators to move most bills forward. Once they clear that procedure, only a simple majority is needed for final passage.
Trump has made repeated overtures over the years for Republicans to gut the filibuster, going back to his first term. Both parties have changed the rules over the past decade or so that have weakened the filibuster when it comes to executive nominations. But getting rid of it altogether would completely reshape the Senate and and would significantly empower whoever is in the majority at that time.
But despite Trump鈥檚 demands, Thune said the among Republicans to change the rules. And if there鈥檚 no real movement on ending the filibuster, Democrats like Murphy insist he鈥檒l have no choice but to get involved in negotiations with both parties.
鈥淭rump obviously wants desperately to get out of this shutdown,鈥� Murphy said. 鈥淗e tried one play this morning. And if that doesn鈥檛 work, his only other path is to come to the table.鈥�
With a resolution still not in sight, the shutdown threatens to cause even more pain across the country as pressure builds to end it.
In addition to missed paychecks, federal nutrition assistance has taken one of the biggest hits. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, came to a halt starting Saturday in 黑料吃瓜网 and other states. Beneficiaries are waiting to see at least some of their benefits for the month of November after two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use a special contingency fund to pay partial benefits.
With nutrition aid in limbo at the federal level, state lawmakers are looking to Gov. Ned Lamont to like the state did for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, as well as for winter heating assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
Two Head Start programs in 黑料吃瓜网 also saw a funding lapse over the weekend with grants that were expected to come through on Saturday: EdAdvance, a Regional Educational Service Center that serves western 黑料吃瓜网, and Children鈥檚 Learning Centers of Fairfield County in Stamford. Between those centers, they have a combined 395 slots that serve children in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
But they will continue to be to keep things going at least through November through 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Office of Early Childhood.
EdAdvance had said it will get some of its allotted state funding for the year early, executive director Jonathan Costa said. That will help EdAdvance stay open through November, though he noted they will need to evaluate things if the government remains closed heading into December.
Monica Maccera Filppu, the CEO of Children鈥檚 Learning Centers of Fairfield County, said 鈥渋t is our intention to sustain services as long as we can.鈥� They recently sent a message to families that they will stay open and 鈥渄o not anticipate any immediate changes to our services.鈥�
On top of the direct shutdown consequences, people in 黑料吃瓜网 and across the country are deciding whether to buy new health plans for 2026 with the set to expire. Open enrollment began over the weekend to purchase plans for next year on the state鈥檚 insurance exchange, Access Health CT.
But if those subsidies aren鈥檛 renewed before the end of the year, premiums are expected to rise. For those who earn less than 400% of the federal poverty level, they are likely to get less assistance. But those over the 400% will see their .
If the subsidies lapse at the end of December, 黑料吃瓜网 residents could see their premiums rise by an average of $2,380 per year 鈥� or about $198 a month 鈥� according to mid-October estimates provided by Access Health CT. A household of four would see premiums rise by an average of over $10,000 per year.
With costs piling up across various programs and services both related and unconnected to the shutdown, lawmakers say affordability is the defining election issue.
鈥淭he through-line in these elections is life today seems unaffordable for a lot of Americans when they buy groceries, pay their electricity bill, their rent or mortgage and yes, their health care,鈥� Blumenthal said. 鈥淗ealth care was on the ballot. Affordability was on the ballot. And the results are plain to see.鈥�
The 黑料吃瓜网 Mirror/黑料吃瓜网 Radio federal policy reporter position is made possible, in part, by funding from the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation.
