Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, blamed "far-left groups" for pushing Democrats into a government shutdown, accusing them of staging political theater to oppose President Trump, The Hill reported.
He said Democrats are handing President Donald Trump leverage.
Golden said progressive activists pressured Democratic leaders to reject a status quo funding measure.
"This government shutdown is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump," Golden said in a Wednesday statement.
Golden was the only Democrat to vote in favor of the House Republican proposal, which passed 217-212 on Sept. 19. His office highlighted that more than 12,000 federal employees in Maine face disruption during a shutdown. The statement also warned that the closure gives Trump "extraordinary leeway in determining which aspects of government are 'essential,' and which can be shuttered."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., described the Republican backed measure as "clean" and "nonpartisan."
It would have kept the government open through Nov. 21. The Senate, however, rejected the bill on Tuesday, with only three members of the Democratic caucus, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent, voting yes. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed it.
On Wednesday, Senate Democrats again blocked an attempt to advance the GOP proposal. A competing Democratic plan also failed earlier in the week, with all 53 Senate Republicans voting no. That bill would have extended funding through October, restored nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, and permanently extended subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
Golden said he supports Affordable Care Act subsidies, which were first enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and extended through 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act. Eligibility requires household income to be below 400% of the federal poverty line, among other rules.
Conservative groups have urged Trump to let the subsidies expire, but millions of Americans could face higher premiums or lose coverage beginning in 2026 if that happens. Golden acknowledged Republican concerns about subsidies going to higher-income households but argued that "a negotiation, not a shutdown, is the best path forward."
Golden also criticized Medicaid cuts included in the budget signed into law by Trump in July, saying he opposed those provisions.
"There's room and time to negotiate," Golden said Tuesday. "But normal policy disagreements are no reason to subject our constituents to the continued harm of this shutdown."
For now, the shutdown remains in effect with no clear resolution in sight.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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