The Daily The Democrats’ Big Shutdown Gamble
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Oct 1, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Catie Edmondson, a Congressional correspondent for The New York Times, and Carl Hulse, Chief Washington correspondent, dive into the recent U.S. government shutdown. They explore how the Democrats view the shutdown as an act of resistance against Trump's agenda. They discuss Senator Chuck Schumer's strategic shift towards supporting the shutdown and how prior decisions influenced current political stakes. The conversation also touches on the immediate impacts of the shutdown, including furloughs and essential service disruptions.
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Shutdown Feels Inevitable This Time
- Democrats feel shutdown inevitability now because past last-minute pulls have disappeared.
- The March decision to avert a shutdown changed trust and set the stage for a more confrontational stance.
Schumer's March Reversal Backlash
- Schumer surprised many Democrats in March by reversing and voting to keep the government open.
- That decision produced intense backlash and calls for his resignation from activists and some colleagues.
Three Concrete Reasons Democrats Pressuring
- Democrats tie the shutdown rationale to three concrete grievances: Medicaid cuts, expiring ACA subsidies, and executive rescissions.
- They view these issues as leverage to force negotiations, not abstract protest.