Democrats Reject Compromise to Reopen the Government over Lack of Trust in Trump

On Thursday, November 6, Democrats rejected a compromise package that would have combined a short-term funding bill with three annual budgets—for military construction, veterans affairs, agriculture, and the legislative branch. In a closed-door meeting, Democratic senators concluded that the proposal offered no credible assurance that Trump and the Republican-controlled House would renew subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which expire in January.

“We’ve got a ring full of keys, and we’re trying to find the one that fits the lock. We just need a different key,” said one Democratic senator involved in the discussions.

Despite rejecting the compromise drafted by centrists Gary Peters, Jeanne Shaheen, and Angus King, Democrats continue to search for a way to end the 37-day government shutdown. To pass a funding bill, Senate Republican leader John Thune needs at least eight Democratic votes—five short of the threshold. Thune has so far failed to convince them that Trump will agree to extend health insurance subsidies beyond December.

Thune scheduled a vote on the House-passed funding bill, hoping to attach compromise amendments, but senators expect it to fail. Democrats doubt that Thune can guarantee Trump will stop blocking congressional appropriations or abandon his use of “pocket sequesters”—the rescission of approved funds. They also fear the president will continue firing federal employees even after agencies reopen.

According to one participant in the meeting, Trump “showed not the slightest interest” in reaching a deal with Democrats to lower health care costs. Instead, he has been urging Thune to change Senate rules and abolish the right to block legislation—effectively sidelining Democrats from the process.

Senator Peter Welch said he trusts Thune but not House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close ally of Trump and the MAGA movement. “I trust John Thune, but the fact is, it’s not all up to him. For any deal to hold, it has to pass the House,” Welch said on the Senate floor.

Recalling past crises, Senator Dick Durbin noted that during the 2018–2019 shutdown, Trump abandoned an already negotiated bipartisan compromise on the Mexico border wall. “We had a deal—Susan Collins was part of the talks—and at the last moment Trump pulled the rug out from under everyone and said, ‘There will be no bill,’” Durbin said.

Democrats also got burned this summer when Chuck Schumer reached a tentative deal with Thune on more than 140 executive appointments blocked by the White House. After Trump was briefed on the talks, he torpedoed them and wrote to Schumer on Truth Social: “Go to hell.” He called the Democrats’ position “outrageous and unprecedented.” Now Trump is using the same combative rhetoric, telling CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he “won’t be blackmailed.”

Earlier this week, Trump ignored yet another letter from Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries proposing a meeting. “Democrats are ready to meet with you face to face, anytime and anywhere,” they wrote. No response followed.

According to Senator Tim Kaine, Trump’s coarse behavior only strengthened Democrats’ resolve not to back down. “He treats the process with total disrespect—leaves the country, posts videos showing Democratic leaders in sombreros, refuses dialogue. Trump thinks he can intimidate us with threats, but it doesn’t work,” Kaine said.

From the outset of the crisis, the president posted an AI-generated video on social media showing Chuck Schumer lamenting Democratic failures and Hakeem Jeffries caricatured in a sombrero and mustache. Many found the video offensive—it set the tone for the weeks that followed.

Even moderate Democrats from swing states are refusing to back the compromise, citing a lack of trust in Trump. “He’s clearly not helping,” said Senator Raphael Warnock. “Trump himself said years ago that the president is responsible for a shutdown. It’s his duty to bring everyone to the table and find a solution—but he’s doing the opposite. That’s who he is.”

Warnock said he was troubled by Trump’s recent Truth Social post claiming that food assistance payments would resume only after the crisis ends—despite two federal court rulings to the contrary. Later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the administration “is fully complying with the court’s orders.”

Senator Mark Warner, a veteran of many bipartisan negotiations, said he has chosen not to participate this time. “I have little faith that any of my former partners will dare go against Trump,” he said.

Democrats say Trump’s stance on extending ACA subsidies is critical to reaching any deal. Without his public endorsement, they doubt Thune can gather 60 votes in the Senate or move the measure through the House. Thune himself admitted his limits: “I can’t guarantee the outcome—I can only guarantee the process, the discussion, and the vote. But I can’t speak for the House, and I can’t promise the result.”

On Thursday, Johnson likewise refused to promise a vote on the subsidy extension, saying the House had already done its part by passing a funding bill through November 21. Senator Peters called the Republican leadership’s refusal to guarantee a vote on the subsidies “a serious problem.”