Taking stock of the situation:
1. most here knew, and loudly expressed as much, Schumer couldn't hold a long shutdown together. They were proven correct.
2. Democrats put a target on the backs of Republicans for the shutdown as well as exploding grocery and healthcare/insurance prices. Large cracks in the Republican rank and file on Epstein has now spread to healthcare costs (Orc MTG).
3. Republicans were happy to let everything expire without having to vote on it specifically. Now, all Republicans will have to go on record in a vote. They even have Trump out there tweeting about healthcare plans (lol)
4. The 2024 election was seemingly won on affordability and the party that is perceived as the "common man" champion (somehow it was Republicans). That is not the case any longer and Democrats had a good/great night at the polls, the first voting test since 2024. They look like the ones fighting for affordability and the working class.