Shutdown watch: Liberal Dems dig in, moderates quiet
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Liberal Democrats dug in Wednesday after Tuesday's elections, maintaining their health care push as moderate Democrats were quieter and said talks are continuing.
Why it matters: The aftermath of Democrats' big election night wins highlighted the strains within the Democratic Party over how long to keep battling Republicans for extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Driving the news: "It would be very odd right after the country rewarded Democrats for taking a stand and fighting, for us to immediately stop fighting," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) added that "what people want is that the Democrats stand up and continue to fight," saying any ACA agreement needs buy-in from Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump to ensure it actually becomes law.
Between the lines: More moderate Senate Democrats, who earlier in the week were looking for a way out of the shutdown, were less forceful and more tight-lipped on Wednesday.
- "All I'm going to tell you is that the discussions are ongoing and they've been very positive," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), when asked if the election results mean that there needs to be more than just a promise of a vote on the ACA subsidies.
- Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) also declined to comment specifically on whether the promise of a vote on the ACA subsidies is enough, saying they did not want to get ahead of talks.
The bottom line: Other Democrats have stressed they need Trump and the House involved to make sure it isn't just a failed show vote.
- Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, pointed to Trump's own comments Wednesday that the shutdown was "negative for the Republicans" in the election, and called on him to negotiate.
