Several weeks into the longest U.S. government shutdown, tension continues to rise as lawmakers struggle to find common ground. On Sunday night, a small group of Democratic senators appeared ready to strike a deal with Republicans to reopen the government. However, Minnesota’s Democratic senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith refused to support the agreement, saying it failed to address a key issue — the rising cost of health insurance and the loss of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
“I voted against this budget bill because it does not prevent health insurance premiums from doubling for so many in our state,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “The President and Congressional Republicans should have come to the table to work with us to lower these costs.”
Tina Smith echoed the same concern, criticizing the GOP for ignoring health care affordability in the deal. “I will not support this bill that completely fails to help Americans afford their health care,” she said in a post on social media, calling the decision to move forward without addressing ACA subsidies a serious mistake.
The Senate’s proposal, which aimed to reopen the government by passing three annual spending bills and temporarily funding operations for two months, attracted limited Democratic support. While some Democrats saw it as a necessary step toward ending the shutdown, others like Klobuchar and Smith viewed it as a short-sighted solution that left millions of Americans vulnerable to skyrocketing health care costs.
The government shutdown, now in its 40th day, has disrupted federal services and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. Public frustration has grown as essential programs face delays and uncertainty. Despite the growing pressure to find a resolution, Democrats remain divided on whether to compromise with Republicans without securing long-term protections for affordable health care.
The debate also spilled into Minnesota’s political scene. Two prominent Democrats running to replace Smith in her Senate seat when she retires in January 2027 — Representative Angie Craig and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan — voiced strong opposition to the proposed deal. Craig, who represents parts of southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities suburbs, criticized the compromise harshly. “If people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you,” she said. “I’m not going to put 24 million Americans at risk of losing their health care.”
Flanagan took to social media before the deal was even finalized, saying any agreement that depends on Republican promises is unreliable. “Democrats can’t give up on affordable health care for an empty promise,” she wrote. “Minnesotans can’t afford for Democrats to cave.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also weighed in, expressing disappointment over the lack of progress on health care reform and accusing Republican leaders of prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy over working families. “This is a deeply disappointing result,” Walz said. “Democrats cannot let the Trump Administration steamroll Congress into cutting taxes for billionaires at the expense of working people.”
The growing frustration among Minnesota’s Democratic leaders reflects a broader national divide within the party. While some lawmakers want to end the shutdown as quickly as possible to ease the financial burden on Americans, others insist that reopening the government without addressing major policy concerns — especially health care — would be a mistake.
As the stalemate continues, pressure mounts on both parties to find a sustainable compromise. With millions of Americans affected by the shutdown and health care costs continuing to rise, Democrats like Klobuchar and Smith remain firm that reopening the government cannot come at the expense of affordable coverage. For now, the shutdown remains unresolved, and the path forward depends on whether lawmakers can agree on a deal that balances immediate relief with long-term solutions for American families.
