Democrats reckon with lofty Obamacare promises after shutdown defeat

Published November 16, 2025 6:00am ET



Democrats bet big that President Donald Trump would cave to their healthcare demands in a protracted government shutdown fight. Now, they’re facing a reckoning from the party’s base over the miscalculation.

The standoff, which centered on expiring Obamacare subsidies, ended up backing congressional Democrats into a corner and disappointing supporters, who expected them to emerge from the shutdown with an extension of the subsidies despite GOP control of Congress and the White House.

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