“There are zero cracks on the Democratic side. … Everybody on the Democratic side, certainly in the House and our colleagues in the Senate, have been tremendous on this,” Jeffries said. “This is a very real thing, this Republican healthcare crisis, that Republicans have visited on the American people.”

“Every single Democrat certainly in the House from Reps. Ocasio-Cortez to Rep. Josh Gottheimer, and all points in between along the ideological spectrum, are in this fight until we win this fight, and I’m in touch with everyone,” he added.

However, recent comments from a few members in his caucus suggested otherwise.

Gottheimer appeared on Fox News to say Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has presented a “fair deal” to Senate Democrats. Thune has said repeatedly he would hold a floor vote on extending the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits if enough Democrats vote for the continuing resolution to reopen the government. 

However, Democrats have largely axed that idea, insisting they want to see their demands met now in the short-term spending deal — a request the GOP has rejected, arguing the Affordable Care Act credits don’t belong in a funding fight.

“I think what’s a very fair deal is open the government and let’s just vote on extending these premiums for a year, or more,” Gottheimer said. “I don’t understand what’s so hard about that.” 

Gottheimer added that he believes there will be a large bipartisan effort to extend Affordable Care Act premiums once the bill hits the floor. 

Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), the lone House Democrat to vote for the GOP’s continuing resolution on Sept. 19, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he agrees with Republicans that his party’s healthcare demands are a totally separate matter from the funding fight, and Democrats shouldn’t be using the Affordable Care Act credits as leverage.

“What they’re doing is wrong,” Golden said. 

When asked for additional comment, his team pointed the Washington Examiner to his Wall Street Journal interview.

Golden’s opposition to his party’s stance isn’t surprising. He has frequently bucked the Democrats on key legislation, particularly as he represents a very competitive swing district and faces two primary challengers for the 2026 midterm elections.

In a statement released on the first day of the shutdown, he accused Democratic leaders of listening to “far-left groups” who wanted them to “put on a show of their opposition to President Trump” but hurting Americans in the process.

“I’m not willing to shut down the government over healthcare subsidies for households making $300,000,” Golden told the outlet. “I think we have a deficit problem in this country that neither party is showing any ability or political will to address.”

He added that his party isn’t being straightforward with voters by trying to tie the Affordable Care Act credits to the “big, beautiful bill” signed into law in July. He also said Democrats set 2025 as the expiration date for the credits back in 2022.

“I’m just uncomfortable lying about the strategy to win and shutting down the government. We’ve never been the party that does that,” Golden said.

Numerous pressure points have emerged during the shutdown fight, such as federal worker furloughs, blocked paychecks to government employees and servicemembers, loss of capital for small businesses, and lapsing nutrition program benefits. However, the government shutdown has hit Day 29, and Democrats are insistent that Republicans are the ones to blame for the pain being felt by Americans.

On the Senate side, lawmakers have said negotiations are moving forward but have declined to provide details. With the continuing resolution failing for the 13th time on Tuesday, it’s likely that the shutdown will continue into next week. Senate Democrats told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that they understand the plight of federal workers, but they are also looking to help an even larger group of Americans whose healthcare premiums are expected to increase.

ILLINOIS DELEGATION THROWS FULL WEIGHT BEHIND REDISTRICTING DESPITE HESITANCY FROM BLACK LAWMAKERS

Republicans have rejected attempts by the Democrats to put stand-alone bills on the floor to fund the troops or cover lapsing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also said on Wednesday he wouldn’t bring the House back to vote on a new continuing resolution, calling it a “futile exercise.”

“If I brought the House back, and we passed another CR, it would meet the exact same fate with Chuck Schumer,” Johnson said.