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Democratic lawmakers reel after Senate votes to reopen government: ‘Republican-made health care crisis’

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Democratic lawmakers reel after Senate votes to reopen government: ‘Republican-made health care crisis’

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The Senate struck a late-Sunday deal to begin the path to reopening the government after eight Democrats joined Republicans to reach 60 votes, sparking backlash from those who opposed the spending bill.

Democratic leaders voiced intense opposition, arguing that the continuing resolution fails to address the nation’s worsening health care challenges. Several prominent lawmakers spoke out immediately following the vote, framing it as a test of priorities and moral leadership.

Rep. Ro Khanna, R-Calif., said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D–N.Y., “is no longer effective and should be replaced.”

“If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?” Khanna asked.

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Schumer voted no on the procedural vote.

“America is in the midst of a Republican-made health care crisis — a crisis so severe, so urgent, and so devastating for American families that I cannot support a continuing resolution that fails to address it,” Schumer said.

SENATE DEMOCRATS CAVE, OPEN PATH TO REOPENING GOVERNMENT

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a press conference with members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Schumer said that Democrats have continually pushed for meaningful reforms to the health care system.

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“For months and months, Democrats have been fighting to get the Senate to address the health care crisis,” he said. “This bill does nothing to ensure that the crisis is addressed. I am voting no, and I will keep fighting for months and months.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I–Vt., delivered a forceful rebuke, criticizing both Republicans and the eight Democrats who joined them in supporting the resolution.

“Tonight, eight Democrats voted with the Republicans to allow them to go forward on this continuing resolution. And to my mind, this was a very, very bad vote,” Sanders said. “What it does, first of all, is it raises healthcare premiums for over 20 million Americans by doubling, and in some cases tripling or quadrupling. People can’t afford that when we are already paying the highest prices in the world for healthcare.”

SANDERS CALLS OUT 8 SENATE DEMOCRATS FOR ‘VERY, VERY BAD VOTE’ ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING MEASURE

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at the No Kings Rally in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)

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He went on to warn of the broader consequences of the legislation.

“It paves the way for 15 million people to be thrown off of Medicaid. While care act studies show that will mean some 50,000 Americans will die every year unnecessarily. And all of that was done to give a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the 1%.”

Sanders links the vote to broader political trends and said it ignores the message voters have sent in recent elections.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and Brian Steil for a press conference on the tenth day of a government shutdown on Oct. 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

“As everybody knows, just on Tuesday, we had an election all over this country, and what the election showed is that the American people wanted us to stand up to Trumpism — to his war against working-class people, to his authoritarianism,” Sanders said. “That is what the American people wanted. But tonight, that is not what happened.”

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Despite his disappointment, Sanders vowed to continue pushing for expanded access to health care.

SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also spoke out following the vote, sharing a video message on X alongside a seething assessment of the funding bill’s failure to address healthcare costs.

“Millions of Californians are at risk of losing their insurance or facing dramatically higher health care costs. Tonight’s vote does NOTHING to address this Republican health care crisis,” Schiff said.

In the video, Schiff recounts his “no” vote, calling the moment symbolic of the bleak outlook for health care reform under the current bill.

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“So, I just voted no on the Republican funding bill. I am outside the Capitol. It’s dark and raining, and that seems all too appropriate for this moment because that funding bill has nothing in it to help people afford their health insurance. That bill has nothing in it that’s going to bring costs down. That bill has nothing in it that’s going to make sure that people with pre-existing conditions can afford their health insurance,” Schiff said, in part.

He continued: “We owe our constituents better than this. We owe a resolution that makes it possible for them to afford their health care. [The] system [is] already badly broken enough. This just prevented it from getting worse.”

Schiff also joined Schumer in describing the shutdown and the vote on Sunday as a “Republican health care crisis.”

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Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., posted a late-night video from his office, expressing deep frustration over the outcome and warning that the vote could embolden President Donald Trump.

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His caption read: “I got back to my office after the vote tonight and recorded this. There’s no way to sugarcoat what happened tonight. And my fear is that Trump gets stronger, not weaker, because of this acquiescence. I’m angry — like you. But I choose to keep fighting.”

Murphy also reflected on the vote’s implications for both democracy and health care, saying Democrats must continue to stand firm despite the political cost.

“The American people do not want Democrats to be bullied into submission. They want Democrats to fight for their healthcare. They want Democrats to fight Trump’s illegality,” the senator said, in part.

“I didn’t want this shutdown. I want it to end — but not at any cost. This shutdown hurt, it did — but unfortunately, I don’t think there is a way to save this country, to save our democracy, without there being some difficult, hard moments along the way.

…I’m angry about it. And I’m just gonna get up tomorrow and go to work to try to convince all of my colleagues that this is a unique moment — and the necessity to stand and fight, even when it’s hard, even when it involves pain, is necessary.”

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McCarthy says Trump will use ‘everything he can’ to force Senate action on SAVE America Act

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McCarthy says Trump will use ‘everything he can’ to force Senate action on SAVE America Act

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As infighting over the SAVE America Act throws congressional Republicans into disarray, President Donald Trump’s bid to get the stalled election bill across the finish line gained one notable ally.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital that he supports the election integrity measure and indicated that Trump should continue to use every available tool to pressure the Senate to pass it.

“He’s going to try everything he can to make sure he passes that through,” McCarthy said in a brief interview outside the U.S. Capitol. 

The ex-speaker’s comments came after Trump abruptly called off a signing ceremony Wednesday for a bipartisan housing bill to pressure the Republican-controlled Senate to act on the SAVE America Act.

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President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs Reading Regional Airport in Reading, Pa., on June 23, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

IRATE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE TRUMP OF HANDING DEMOCRATS A WIN AFTER BLOWING UP HOUSING PACKAGE

The move surprised Republican lawmakers, some of whom were praising the bill’s passage at a press conference when Trump’s Truth Social post broke.

But Trump has repeatedly cast the election measure — requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and voter identification requirements — as his top legislative priority.

The legislation’s momentum, however, has slowed in the upper chamber, where Republican leadership insists the votes aren’t there amid widespread Democratic opposition. Senate Republicans have also been unwilling to eliminate the legislative filibuster, which requires a 60-vote threshold to pass the legislation.

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Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy speaks during a ceremony honoring President Ronald Reagan on the 115th anniversary of his birthday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2026. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group)

TRUMP CALLS MAIL IN VOTING CORRUPT AS SENATE BEGINS DEBATE ON SAVE ACT REQUIRING VOTER ID

Amid the SAVE standoff, a group of conservative lawmakers effectively shut down the House floor in an effort to force Senate action on the election bill. 

But the Senate recessed Wednesday for two weeks over the July 4 holiday, leaving the measure in limbo until lawmakers return.

The conservative-led blockade sparked fierce backlash, with several members inside the GOP conference telling Fox News Digital the move risked torpedoing their own legislative agenda.

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Meanwhile, the House has also yet to pass a version of the legislation incorporating several of the president’s priorities, including a mail-in voting crackdown and provisions banning men from competing in women’s sports and child sex change procedures. 

Trump has not indicated whether he will sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, despite the likely existence of a veto-proof majority.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Thursday that the housing bill had been transmitted to the White House for Trump’s signature following a meeting with the president.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol on June 10, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Trump now has 10 days to sign the package or veto it. If he does nothing, the legislation automatically becomes law at the end of the 10-day period.

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Trump budget request omits funds for L.A. fire relief, prompting criticism from senators

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Trump budget request omits funds for L.A. fire relief, prompting criticism from senators

California’s two Democratic senators on Thursday criticized the Trump administration after it requested $87.6 billion from Congress to address some of the nation’s most “urgent needs” but omitted funding for victims of last year’s Los Angeles wildfires.

“Donald Trump’s desire to punish Los Angeles and the state of California for not voting for him, means once again that thousands of Angelinos are left watching this administration fight for anything but them, their businesses, and their communities,” Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff said in a joint statement.

“These fires did not discriminate based on party or political preference. Neither should this administration,” they added.

The omission is the latest strain in a yearlong standoff between California leaders and the Trump administration over federal disaster aid, and it comes after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger met with President Trump at the Oval Office in April to request the funding.

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At the meeting, Trump signaled his commitment to working with local officials to help with disaster recovery efforts. The officials asked for $16 billion that would be split between the city and county. The money would consist primarily of disbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency flagged for communities hit by the fires, part of a $33.9-billion wildfire relief funding request made by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Two months later, those talks have yet to yield results sought by local leaders.

The budget request, submitted by the Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday, mostly seeks funding for the Pentagon to address costs related to the Iran war. It also includes $11.1 billion in economic assistance for American farmers, $1.4 billion to address the Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa, $500 million to support “ongoing efforts to complete restorations and construction projects” across the nation’s capital and $1 billion to boost the pensions of workers at General Motors that were cut as a result of the automaker’s bankruptcy.

“I urge the Congress to take action on these important and urgent requests as soon as possible,” White House budget director Russell Vought wrote in a letter addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Vought said the administration was open to discussing “additional relief for other urgent matters.” The White House did not immediately respond when asked why the budget request did not mention the Eaton and Palisades disaster relief funds.

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State leaders, including Newsom, have repeatedly accused the Trump administration of stonewalling billions in wildfire aid. The governor visited Washington in December to meet with lawmakers, including three who serve on the Senate and House appropriations committees, to push for the funding.

The governor also attempted to meet with FEMA about the matter, but said his request was denied. Newsom, a political foe of Trump’s, would not say whether he had attempted to meet with Trump to talk about the recovery efforts.

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Trump administration pledges $150M in aid, deploys Navy warships after deadly Venezuela earthquakes

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Trump administration pledges 0M in aid, deploys Navy warships after deadly Venezuela earthquakes

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Following a catastrophic set of earthquakes that left at least 235 people dead in Venezuela, the Trump administration has activated a government-wide humanitarian response, pledging $150 million in aid and deploying U.S. Navy warships to assist in life-saving rescue operations.

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The rapid mobilization Thursday comes after back-to-back magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes rocked northern Venezuela roughly 120 miles west of Caracas Wednesday night. 

The rare earthquake “doublet” injured more than 940 people and turned the state of La Guaira into a disaster zone, while forcing the closure of the damaged Simón Bolívar International Airport, according to Venezuela’s Health Ministry.

US RESCUE TEAMS TO DESCEND ON HARD-HIT CARIBBEAN AFTER CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE MELISSA’S IMPACT

Rescuers search for victims in a collapsed building following an earthquake in Caracas on June 24, 2026. (Manaure Quintero / AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday it is mobilizing $150 million in aid, which includes $50 million in new bilateral awards for relief partners on the ground — such as Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services and World Vision — along with a $100 million contribution to a United Nations humanitarian pooled fund.

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To spearhead efforts on the ground, the State Department has deployed a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team alongside two highly specialized urban search-and-rescue teams from fire departments in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California. 

U.S. WARSHIPS TO PATROL INTERNATIONAL WATERS AROUND VENEZUELA AS TRUMP VOWS TO STOP CARTELS

Members of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department’s international urban search and rescue team (USA-2) prepare to leave for Venezuela, in Pacoima, Calif., Thursday. (Blake Fagan/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said it is surging assigned U.S. military forces to the region, directing the USS Fort Lauderdale and the USS Billings to Venezuela to back the State Department-led operations.

The USS Fort Lauderdale will serve as a “floating command center” with a flight deck to support heavy-lift helicopters and a well deck to launch landing craft, according to SOUTHCOM.

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Meanwhile, the agile USS Billings will provide critical support close to the shorelines to accelerate the disaster response missions.

U.S. SOUTHCOM said it has directed USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) and USS Billings (LCS 15) to Venezuela to support State Department-led U.S. government relief operations in Venezuela. (@Southcom/X)

SOUTHCOM said it is also sending rotary-wing aircraft, which will provide critical life-saving airlift support, transporting U.S. government response personnel, search and rescue teams and partners during relief operations.

Amid the crisis, the State Department emphasized that the safety of U.S. citizens remains the administration’s highest priority.

“The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans. The Department of State is working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to U.S. citizens and their families in the affected areas,” officials wrote in a statement. “The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to helping Venezuela recover from this devastating disaster and will continue to explore additional ways to provide meaningful assistance during this critical time.”

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U.S. citizens in Venezuela are urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and can contact the State Department 24/7 at 202-501-4444 for emergency assistance.

Family members in the U.S. seeking information on loved ones can call toll-free at 888-407-4747.

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