The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended this week—a resolution that profoundly agitated the Democratic base and more than a few lawmakers in the party. As you know, late last week, eight senators in the Democratic caucus decided to break ranks and side with their Republican counterparts to end the month-plus-long national headache, reaching a deal that notably does not satisfy the party’s original demand of expanding Affordable Care Act subsidies for millions of Americans. After more than a month of unusual unity, Democrats are back to infighting. Meanwhile, the latest short-term government funding bill will run out in January 2026, which means we could be doing all this again in a couple months.