Summary
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged moderate Democrats to maintain the government shutdown until November, despite facing pressure to reopen. He hoped to negotiate better terms when the Affordable Care Act enrollment began. However, some Democrats eventually voted with Republicans to end the shutdown.
Key Facts
- Chuck Schumer is the Senate Minority Leader and a member of the Democratic Party.
- Schumer privately encouraged moderates to extend the government shutdown until early November.
- The shutdown lasted two weeks when moderate Democrats began considering a vote to reopen the government.
- The moderates wanted to wait until the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment started.
- Schumer opposed a bipartisan deal aimed at ending the shutdown.
- Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen led efforts to find a compromise but did not comment on Schumer's role.
- The shutdown ended when some Democrats voted with Republicans after securing a promised vote in December on ACA tax credits.
