Forty days into the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a group of Senate Democrats broke with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to vote with Republicans to advance a measure that would reopen the government.
On Sunday night, the Senate approved moving forward on a House-passed clean continuing resolution (CR) by a 60-40 vote, a breakthrough after the measure failed to clear the 60-vote threshold 14 times. While the move signals progress, final passage is expected to take several days, and the bill must still pass the House, which has been in recess since September 19.
Several Democrats shifted their position, including Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Jacky Rosen of Nevada. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois also supported the measure, despite stepping away from re-election politics. They joined Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, all of whom had repeatedly voted with Republicans during the shutdown fight. Notably, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, widely regarded as a vulnerable 2026 candidate, remained aligned with Schumer, opposing the deal.
King, Hassan, and Shaheen were reportedly instrumental in negotiating the bipartisan agreement with Republicans, emphasizing that the prolonged shutdown had forced their hand. “The question was, as the shutdown progresses, is a solution on the ACA [Affordable Care Act] becoming more likely? It appears not,” King said. “And I think people are saying we’re not going to get what we want, although we still have a chance, because part of the deal is a vote on the ACA subsidies.”
The stopgap measure extends government funding through January 2026, advances three full-year appropriations bills, and continues funding for federal food assistance programs. It also reverses the mass furloughs of federal employees that had disrupted millions of Americans’ paychecks, food stamp access, and air travel in major hubs.
Despite the progress, the deal has drawn criticism from the left. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego called it a “show vote” that fails to protect 24 million Americans’ health care, while Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy warned that voting for the CR without ACA protections or “Trump’s growing illegality” was a mistake.
The Democratic National Committee, several activist groups, and prominent House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also voiced opposition. Rumored 2028 presidential candidates cited the measure’s insufficient language on health care as a reason to resist.
Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have emphasized that extending the ACA subsidies without reform would unfairly burden taxpayers. “Republicans are not about to further burden taxpayers by blindly extending a flawed program,” Thune said on the Senate floor Saturday. Thune has offered Democrats a vote on the subsidies as part of the CR, though party opposition makes its passage unlikely.
Once the Senate finalizes the bill, House GOP leadership will give members 36 hours’ notice to return to Washington to vote on reopening the government.
The compromise represents a rare moment of cross-party cooperation, reflecting pressure from prolonged shutdown hardships and widespread public frustration, even as Democrats remain divided on the scope of the measure.
The vote signals a turning point in the shutdown, demonstrating that, even amid intense partisan pressures, a handful of Senate Democrats were willing to prioritize ending the funding lapse over their own party’s radical positions.
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