Posted on 11/08/2025 6:32:08 AM PST by DFG
The government shutdown—now entering its unprecedented fifth week—isn’t the result of Republican infighting or conservative obstruction. It’s the deliberate political hostage-taking of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democrat caucus, who refuse to pass even a short-term spending bill unless it includes extending their Obamacare subsidies. But as the shutdown drags on and Americans grow restless ahead of Thanksgiving, signs are emerging that Schumer’s grip on his own party may finally be breaking.
According to multiple sources on Capitol Hill, Senate Republicans believe they’re close to securing enough Democrat votes to advance a procedural measure that would temporarily fund the government through the holidays—on President Trump’s terms, not Schumer’s. It’s a fragile coalition in the making, but the stakes couldn’t be higher. Families are watching flight cancellations pile up, federal employees are going without pay, and services have been stalled for weeks. The political pressure is mounting, and Democrats are starting to feel the heat.
At the center of the standoff is a straightforward continuing resolution pushed by the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans. It would reopen the government at current spending levels, extend funding for border security, and remove most of the bloated, left-wing earmarks Democrats have been fighting to preserve. Schumer, however, has rejected every iteration—insisting that any deal must include extending the temporary assistance Democrats popped into Obamacare in the Covid era.
In other words, Schumer has chosen to keep the government closed to protect his political priorities and endear himself to a radical leftist base that increasingly despises him. But that strategy appears to be backfiring.
Over the last 72 hours, several centrist Democrats—especially those facing tight re-election fights in 2026—have been quietly signaling openness to a procedural vote that could end the stalemate. Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio have both faced intense pressure from constituents and local media over the shutdown’s economic fallout.
Sources say moderate Democrat Joe Manchin, before leaving the Senate, warned colleagues that “Schumer’s obstruction” would hand Trump and the GOP a “massive populist win” if it continued into the holiday season.
The calculus is simple: while Schumer and the activist Left pretend to be fighting Trump, they’re actually punishing the American people. Air travel delays are now estimated to worsen dramatically as TSA staffing dwindles. National Parks have shut down entirely. Federal contractors are losing wages they’ll likely never recover. These are the kinds of tangible frustrations that voters remember—and blame the party in power for.
Republicans, for their part, have held firm even as legacy media has predictably sided with Democrats. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have coordinated closely with President Trump, keeping messaging focused on reopening the government responsibly—without capitulating to Democrat wish lists. Trump himself has been publicly measured but privately insistent that Republicans not “sell out the movement” by giving Schumer anything beyond temporary funding and border protection measures.
If a handful of Democrats cross the aisle, Republicans could move forward with a procedural vote to advance the stopgap bill. That wouldn’t fully end the shutdown yet, but it would represent a massive crack in Schumer’s blockade—a signal to the country that bipartisanship can return only when Democrats stop treating the government as a weapon against their opponents.
For Schumer, the political danger is growing by the day. Each passing week reinforces the perception that Democrats are willing to inflict real harm on Americans to score ideological points. If the shutdown ruins Thanksgiving travel and drags into December, even the media’s reflexive protection of the Democrat Party won’t save them from the public’s wrath.
Meanwhile, Trump has used the moment to highlight the contrast between his leadership and Schumer’s obstruction. “The American people deserve a functioning government,” he said earlier this week. “They also deserve accountability, a secure border, and an end to wasteful spending. We can do both. Chuck Schumer just doesn’t want to.”
It’s a simple truth that resonates beyond Washington’s political games: when the government shuts down, the ruling class feels nothing, but working Americans feel everything. Schumer may have thought he could win a battle of endurance against Trump, but public patience is wearing thin—and Democrats are the ones running out of oxygen.
If moderate senators finally defect, it won’t just reopen the government. It will mark a rebuke of the radical wing that’s hijacked the Democratic Party. And it will prove that even in this divided era, the American people still have the power to force their leaders to choose country over ideology.
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
From your mouth...
No annual budget, just a temporary splurging bill that gets them through the Christmas recess.
“.. Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio have both faced intense pressure...”
Ohio’s current U.S. Senators are Jon Husted (R) and Bernie Moreno (R).
Considering the fact that Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown are no longer senators, I question the validity of this report.
Schumer has chosen to keep the government closed to protect his political priorities.
That’s going to be headlines in the midterm election.
Never forget nor trust democrats actions.
Correct about Tester but Sherrod Brown is running for re-election
On a related note 👇
-
Senator Rand Paul OBJECTS TWICE to Senator John Kennedy’s Proposal to STOP Congressional Pay During Schumer Shutdown
‘
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4351275/posts
Prime Democratic directive: Say and do whatever it takes to get elected. However once you are here do exactly what you are told.
*****
In other words, dims still gonna get their pork and RINOs gonna RINO.
Yep.
Wow—yeah u92-this article can’t be cutting much of any ice in Ohio!!
Brown is gone too.
Wikipedia says Brown is no longer a senator.
Considering the fact that Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown are no longer senators, I question the validity of this report.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
And so you should. This is right wing propaganda.
Of course, the MSM is left wing propaganda, but there’s nothing to be gained by countering it like this.
Note that Trump voters were subjected to this same MSM slant and still voted for him. There’s no real need to counter it with bogus info from a different direction.
” Senators Jon Tester of Montana.....”
I don’t think so.....
Sherrod Brown can’t vote on this right now because he was voted out in 2024. You’re right that he’s hoping to unseat Jon Husted next year.
*** This is right wing propaganda.***
I agree.
Squish Republicans see this a a victory but it is a failure and an indictment. They have shown the American people that the Democrats can eat their lunch and when the dust settles the MAGA movement is the loser. Their weak sister act will cost them the midterms and America will lose much more than an election.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.