Sen. Jeanne Shaheen defends shutdown ending vote from heckler at NH Dem. event

Source: USA Today

Nov. 16, 2025, 3:11 p.m. ET


New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen defended her vote to end the record-breaking government shutdown after a congressional candidate heckled her at a state Democratic Party event.

Video from the New Hampshire Democratic Party's Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner on Nov. 14 shows Shaheen saying that "nobody wants to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits more than me."

A voice, identified by Manchester ABC affiliate WMUR as New Hampshire state representative Heath Howard, interrupts asking, "then why did you vote for it?" referring to the shutdown ending deal. Howard's interruption is representative of the backlash the eight senators and Democratic party leadership have faced from a wide swath of its base, which views ending the shutdown as a capitulation to Republicans.

"You look at our record, and you tell me what you've done to protect the healthcare of Americans, and it's not even close to what we've done," Shaheen angrily responded, which drew applause from the audience.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/16/jeanne-shaheen-heckled-shutdown/87306903007/