Family Divide Over Government Shutdown Deal
A Democratic congressional candidate has faced significant criticism after publicly condemning the bipartisan agreement to end the US government shutdown without disclosing that her own mother was among the senators who voted to advance it.
Stefany Shaheen, who is campaigning to represent New Hampshire in the US House of Representatives, took to social media platform X to express her opposition to the deal. She stated she "cannot support this deal when House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to even allow a vote to extend health care tax credits".
What she notably omitted from her post was that her mother, Jeanne Shaheen, has served as a US senator for New Hampshire since 2009 and was one of seven Democratic rebels who broke with party leadership to vote for the funding bill on Sunday night, 9 November 2025.
The Controversial Vote and Healthcare Consequences
The funding bill that passed extends government operations until 30 January but contains only a promise of a future Senate vote on healthcare legislation rather than an immediate extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. These credits are crucial for keeping health insurance premiums affordable for millions of Americans.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, approximately 15 million people could lose healthcare coverage by 2034 due to Medicaid and ACA marketplace cuts pushed by Republicans. An additional 4.2 million people risk losing marketplace coverage if premium tax credits aren't extended.
Jeanne Shaheen defended her decision in a statement, saying "This was the only deal on the table. It was our best chance to reopen the government and immediately begin negotiations to extend the ACA tax credits".
Political Fallout and Social Media Backlash
Stefany Shaheen's post drew immediate and harsh criticism on social media once users connected her to the senator who had supported the deal. One X user commented "Your mom just ruined your career", while another declared "We don't vote for the children of traitors".
When questioned by the New York Times about the apparent family disagreement, Stefany Shaheen responded: "Clearly we had different approaches here. I can't speak for her. I think she did what she believes is right".
The younger Shaheen, described in her campaign biography as a "passionate advocate for groundbreaking medical research and a successful entrepreneur", has made healthcare a central issue in her campaign. She states that improving healthcare is "the cause of my life".
Notably, Jeanne Shaheen and another Democrat who voted yes, Dick Durbin of Illinois, have already announced they will retire rather than seek re-election next year. The other five Democratic senators who supported the bill - Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman, Margaret Wood Hassan, Tim Kaine, and Jacky Rosen - won't face voters until November 2028.
Independent senator Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, also voted in favour of the deal that ended the 40-day government shutdown.
