How the US shutdown ended not in favour of the Democrats and what happens next
The longest shutdown in US history, 43 days of a partial federal government closure, has ended.
Typically, such crises in the US conclude with a compromise between Republicans and Democrats. But not this time: the current shutdown ended not as a political compromise, but as a defeat for the Democratic Party.
Read more about the Democrats’ capitulation and its possible consequences in the article by Svitlana Kovalchuk, political scientist and YES Executive Director: A shutdown that benefits Trump: how the end of the budget crisis became a defeat for the US Democrats.
The record-breaking shutdown ended when President Donald Trump signed the bill to reopen the government.
This step amounted to capitulation on the Democrats’ main demand – the extension of tax credits that reduce the cost of health insurance for 24 million Americans.
It is worth clarifying: the shutdown was caused specifically by the issue of extending federal subsidies for health insurance.
Back in September, Democrats blocked a Republican bill to fund the government, demanding the inclusion of extended tax credits that make Affordable Care Act (ACA) policies affordable for millions.
However, after 43 days of confrontation, Democrats agreed to make concessions without securing their key condition.
The shutdown was resolved because eight Democratic senators joined Republicans in voting to reopen the government.
Among them were four former governors, two members of the Budget Committee, and two who had already announced their resignation.
Additionally, none of them is up for re-election in the 2026 midterms.
Their shared argument: stopping economic damage is more important than maintaining ideological purity.
This event shattered a fragile balance between strategic approaches inside the Democratic Party.
The progressive wing sees the compromise as a moral defeat.
Centrists believe the party cannot afford to look like a force that blocks the functioning of the government.
For Donald Trump, this outcome is a political victory without a fight. His allies portray the deal as evidence that Democrats are unable to manage even their own coalition.
After the package passed the House of Representatives (222 votes in favour, 209 against) and was signed by Donald Trump, the US government resumed operations.
But the political landscape left by the longest shutdown in history looks bleak for Democrats. Republicans maintain the image of a force capable of "unlocking" the country, while Democrats appear divided and weak.
In any case, the crisis within the Democratic Party is only beginning.
In December, they face another pivotal vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.
And this vote will become a real test for the Democrats.
If they suffer another defeat, they risk losing not only political initiative but also the moral high ground all ahead of the 2026 elections.