WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight senators faced immediate backlash from their own party Sunday night after breaking ranks to allow the Senate to advance compromise legislation aimed at reopening the federal government after the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move drew sharp criticism from prominent Democrats, with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., calling the vote “very, very bad,” while others labeled it a “betrayal” and “pathetic.”
The group of defectors, including retiring senators and former governors, argued that the prolonged shutdown — which disrupted federal services, delayed paychecks, and impacted food assistance programs — made decisive action necessary. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana praised the move, saying the senators “decided to put principle over their personal politics.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a retiring senator who helped negotiate the compromise, said the decision was the best path forward. While she prioritized extending subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans, she ultimately accepted a pledge from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for a December vote on the subsidies. “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 that tens of millions of Americans rely on,” Shaheen said.
Other Democratic senators also cited the human toll of the shutdown as a motivating factor. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said the measure would fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the year and reverse mass federal layoffs ordered during the shutdown. “This bill is not perfect, but it takes important steps to reduce the shutdown’s hurt,” Durbin said.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., called the compromise a “moratorium on mischief,” noting language in the bill that would prevent further mass layoffs under the Trump administration. Similarly, Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., emphasized the urgent need to protect families affected by halted food aid. “After weeks of bipartisan conversations, I voted today to reopen the government so that we can get back to the work of helping Granite Staters,” Hassan said.
Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, played a key role in negotiations and has consistently opposed using a shutdown as leverage. “The question was: Does the shutdown further the goal of achieving some needed support for the extension of the tax credits? Our judgment was that it would not produce that result,” King said.
Senators from swing states like Nevada and Pennsylvania also weighed in. Sen. Jacky Rosen and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto highlighted the impacts on tourism, air travel, and food banks in their states, while Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., criticized the party’s earlier approach to the shutdown. “I’m sorry to our military, SNAP recipients, gov workers, and Capitol Police who haven’t been paid in weeks. It should’ve never come to this. This was a failure,” Fetterman said.
The vote marks a pivotal moment in ending the 41-day government shutdown, setting the stage for the House to vote on the legislation later this week and restoring federal operations while leaving unresolved issues, such as health care tax credits, for future debate.
