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Liberals Enraged After Senate Dems Reach Deal With GOP to End Govt. Shutdown

'Democrats caved, led by weak-kneed, right-of-center' lawmakers (Updated)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer / Getty Images
January 22, 2018

Liberal activists and organizations affiliated with the progressive movement castigated Senate Democrats on Monday after they struck a deal with Republican lawmakers to reopen the federal government.

Three days after the government shut down at midnight on Friday when all but five Senate Democrats voted against a short-term spending bill, the Senate voted to advance legislation to fund the government for three weeks. The chamber voted 81 to 18 to clear a key procedural hurdle for the stopgap measure.

"After several discussions, offers, counter-offers, the Republican leader and I have come to an arrangement," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) announced. "We will vote today to reopen the government to continue negotiating a global agreement, with the commitment that, if an agreement isn't reached by February 8, the Senate will immediately proceed to consideration of legislation dealing with DACA."

Several Democrats had said they would not vote for a government-funding bill that did not protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which provides legal protections to immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. On Monday, however, most Senate Democrats agreed on a compromise that did not address DACA, but only after receiving GOP assurances that Congress would come up with a plan for so-called Dreamers in the coming weeks.

Many liberals quickly went on Twitter to voice their outrage with Democratic lawmakers for agreeing to a deal, writing that they "caved" by not securing protections for DACA recipients. They also denounced Democrats for trusting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.).

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a political action committee that focuses on electing "bold progressives" from the "Elizabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party" to office, blasted Schumer and Senate Democrats for striking a deal with the GOP.

".@TheDemocrats caved led by weak-kneed, right-of-center Democrats--is why people don't believe the Democratic Party stands for anything. #TrumpShutdown #DreamActNow" the organization tweeted.

Other left-leaning organizations did not shy away from panning Democrats and publicizing their criticisms.

Liberal activists echoed the sentiments of groups like MoveOn.org and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/955492992416018433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D931258%26action%3Dedit

MSNBC host Joy Reid appeared to be one of the few liberals who did not think the Democrats caved.

https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/955503649614192641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D931258%26action%3Dedit

Reporters and media outlets characterized the deal as a cave for Democrats.

https://twitter.com/BCAppelbaum/status/955491170997735424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D931258%26action%3Dedit

UPDATED 2:49 P.M.: This story was updated to add more tweets from liberal activists denouncing Senate Democrats and tweets from reporters saying that Democrats "caved."