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.
.@TheDemocrats caved led by weak-kneed, right-of-center Democrats -- is why people don’t believe the Democratic Party stands for anything. #TrumpShutdown #DreamActNow pic.twitter.com/R2URQ6xkQa
— BoldProgressives.org (@BoldProgressive) January 22, 2018
Other left-leaning organizations did not shy away from panning Democrats and publicizing their criticisms.
ACLU Rips Dem Cave-In ... ACLU Comment on Vote to Reopen Government https://t.co/4nW9WylOCx via @aclu
— Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard) January 22, 2018
.@DFAaction says @SenateDems cave on #TrumpShutdown is "not only a stunning display of moral and political cowardice, it was a strategically incoherent move that demonstrates precisely why so many believe the Democratic Party doesn’t stand for anything." https://t.co/utSai9XYOn pic.twitter.com/GDQUTCXh1k
— Democracy for America (@DFAaction) January 22, 2018
Dear Democrats,
We don't want your empty platitudes, we want you to stand up to the GOP and protect DREAMers from deportation.
--The American Public. #TrumpShutdown
— Justice Democrats (@justicedems) January 22, 2018
Our elected leaders need to stand up to chaos & cruelty of Trump & ruthless tactics of Congressional Republicans, not encourage racist, lying bully of a President. Today, the bully won. #TrumpShutdown
— FIRM Action (@FIRM_Action) January 22, 2018
Senate Democrats are accepting the word of a man and a party that have repeatedly broken their promises to the American people.
Over 2,000 #DACA recipients will lose their status while waiting until February 8th.
Why should we trust Mitch McConnell? https://t.co/fEHjYkE9Oe
— Latino Victory (@latinovictoryus) January 22, 2018
Statement from #MoveOn's @iSheyman re: today's terrible #TrumpShutdown deal. pic.twitter.com/zttZuGnLIG
— MoveOn (@MoveOn) January 22, 2018
We need a bipartisan compromise to provide certainty to our military, #ProtectDreamers, provide medical coverage to vulnerable children, and help American towns and cities recovering from record-breaking disasters. And we need this NOW, not three weeks from now. #TrumpShutdown
— The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) January 22, 2018
Senate Democrats cave, provide votes based on McConnell’s empty promise https://t.co/Zy7rIClmTV pic.twitter.com/3zH5lxwdYm
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) January 22, 2018
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
Am told by @benwikler: "Worthless deal. cave." Says that "grassroots pressure now has to become utterly overwhelming."
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) January 22, 2018
Credo political director Murshed Zaheed blasts the vote: "It’s official: Chuck Schumer is the worst negotiator in Washington – even worse than Trump."
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) January 22, 2018
"It’s official: @SenSchumer is the worst negotiator in Washington – even worse than Trump," CREDO Political Director @murshedz #TrumpShutdown pic.twitter.com/gJNj1thrAi
— CREDO Mobile (@CREDOMobile) January 22, 2018
Matt, we got an assurance. Mitch's word is his bond. https://t.co/XevxYZy1x7
— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) January 22, 2018
This is all bullshit. Don't believe a single word coming out of a Democrat right now. They are liars.
— Alida Garcia (@leedsgarcia) January 22, 2018
Find someone who loves you as much as Congressional Democrats love alienating their base
— Kate Aronoff (@KateAronoff) January 22, 2018
Senate Democrats cave, provide votes based on McConnell’s empty promise
The lives of 800,000 DACA recipients are still in limbo.https://t.co/9zcXEj0epp
— Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani (@AdrienneMahsa) January 22, 2018
it's a cave
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 22, 2018
When your messaging during the #TrumpShutdown is "Negotiating with Trump is like negotiating with Jello," pardon me if I'm not exactly thrilled when your solution is throwing your hands up and negotiating with him.
— jordan (@JordanUhl) January 22, 2018
And I am reminded ONCE AGAIN why I do not give any money to the #Democrats as a group, but rather individual politicians who actually hold to their promises and the country's better interests. #TrumpShutdown
— Laura Anne Gilman (@LAGilman) January 22, 2018
Let me get this straight: McConnell promised Susan Collins a vote on her ACA bill in exchange for her vote on taxes. She never got it. And now Dems are taking him at his word?#trumpshutdown
— Angel Padilla (@AngelRafPadilla) January 22, 2018
We’re putting the fate of 800,000 children in the hands of someone so dishonorable that he literally stole a SCOTUS seat. Great job, @SenateDems. Aces. #TrumpShutdown
— shauna (@goldengateblond) January 22, 2018
There are two basic rules in life, one is don't eat prepackaged sushi from gas stations and the second is DON'T TRUST MITCH MCCONNELL'S WORD #TrumpShutdown #DreamActNow
— Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) January 22, 2018
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.
Democrats have managed to accede to Republican demands, demoralize their energized base, give a disengaged president a win, and look like they held a meaningless three day government shutdown — all at once.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) January 22, 2018
Senate Dem aide: McConnell - 1, Senate Dems - 0
— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) January 22, 2018
The Costanza Democrats: pic.twitter.com/3Ww5rMbBtV
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) January 22, 2018
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
We now await Democrats’ spin about how this isn’t a cave
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) January 22, 2018
JUST IN: Senate Democrats cave on DACA and vote to reopen the government https://t.co/TmNaW7q1WA
— VICE News (@VICENews) January 22, 2018
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."