There’s reportedly a deal in place to end the government shutdown this week, Save Jerseyans, conveniently AFTER Democrats rode a wave of anxiety to landslide victories in New Jersey and beyond last week. Go figure.
Cory Booker and Andy Kim aren’t among the Democrats planning to vote for the continuing resolution which, among its conditions, would reinstate the federal workers laid off in October.
“I can’t support this bill,” explained Kim on X. “It doesn’t meet the urgency of the moment and deliver actual relief that can pass both chambers of Congress. I’ve been clear that we need real action to stop the devastating health care cost increases that are hurting millions of families. Trump and Republican leaders created this crisis, and they’ve only used it to make things worse for working families by withholding food assistance for millions for their own political gain. This fight isn’t over, and I’m going to continue to stand with so many who are being hurt.”
“As I’ve always said, I will not support a government funding bill that continues to raise our costs, jeopardizes our health care, and hurts the people of my state,” added Booker in his own post. “I’m urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for Americans who are counting on us to lower their costs, and address the urgent, and–in too many cases–dire challenges people are facing in our country. I will not let up in this fight. I will vote no.”
Interestingly, Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill preempted her own state’s Senate delegation with a statement dismissing the compromise as “malpractice.”
Think about it this way:
Democrats (at the national level) are clearly less invested in keeping the shutdown going now that it helped them fuel turnout for Election 2025. Sherrill, Booker and Kim may feel pressured to honor their base’s desire to make it last forever, but whatever the motivation, Democrats seem perfectly willing to screw over their own people (federal workers, food stamp users, etc.) with just two weeks to go before Thanksgiving.
Sick, but not unexpected. Consider who we’re dealing with here.
