Democrats are stalling efforts to reopen the federal government because they fear retaliation from their far-left base if they vote to end the government shutdown, according to a report from The Hill.
Senate Democrats “are going to get hammered” if they back a Republican-led short-term bill to reopen the government, one anonymous Democratic senator told The Hill. The lawmaker admitted that centrist Democrats “would have opened the government yesterday” but are “terrified of getting the guillotine” from progressive activists.
The shutdown, now in its 20th day, is among the longest in U.S. history. While millions of federal employees remain unpaid, several prominent Democrats—including Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, as well as House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries—have chosen to keep their six-figure salaries.
Only a handful of Democrats have broken ranks. Sens. John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, and independent Angus King have voiced support for reopening the government. Fetterman defended his vote, saying, “I voted yes to pay our service members. That’s service members over party. That’s not baffling to me.”
However, progressive groups have attacked even modest attempts at compromise. Indivisible’s national advocacy director Andrew O’Neill blasted one procedural vote as “GOP political theater,” accusing Democrats who supported it of joining “right in.”
As the standoff drags on, Democrats face growing pressure from both sides—publicly demanding an end to the crisis while privately fearing political retribution from the far left.
