The National Republican Senatorial Committee accused former North Carolina Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper of bowing down "to the radical left" and lying about the government shutdown to the American people.
A group of moderate Democrat senators agreed to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government — and end the shutdown — and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire Jan. 1.
Cooper, who announced in July that he will run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, called the bipartisan deal senators struck late Sunday "unacceptable" in a Monday morning post on X.
"Working families are struggling, and any deal that lets health care costs continue to skyrocket is unacceptable," Cooper wrote. "It's absurd this shutdown ever happened and that Republicans used hungry children as political pawns."
"Washington needs to do its job and come together on a bill that tackles costs and protects health care for North Carolinians," he added.
The NRSC fired back at Cooper, saying he's "been silent on the shutdown for 40 days, refusing to take a position on votes in the Senate" while North Carolina's Republican Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis have voted repeatedly to reopen the government."
"After 41 days of refusing to be honest with North Carolinians, Roy Cooper is still lying," said NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia. "Cooper is just like every other Democrat who would use the suffering of North Carolina families as leverage to demand free healthcare for illegals."
The committee pointed to on-the-record statements from Democrats on Capitol Hill "admitting that the Schumer Shutdown is political gamesmanship."
Early on in the shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who endorsed Cooper, said, "Every day gets better for us."
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, warned that Democrats would lose "leverage" if they "reopen the government."
And Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Rep. Katerine Clark, D-Ill., also referenced leverage in their statements, with Coons saying that "this is our only moment of leverage," and Clark calling families struggling to make ends meet "political leverage."
Cooper, who served two terms as governor, is expected to give Democrats an advantage in an open-seat race that looks to be one of next year's most competitive Senate contests.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.