Seven Senate Democrats and one independent broke ranks Sunday night, handing Republicans a 60–40 vote to advance a deal to end the record 40-day shutdown.
Why it matters: The vote allowed Republicans to break the impasse but infuriated other Democrats who had demanded a renewal of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits as part of any deal.
- It also signaled the mounting pain of the shutdown, which has furloughed federal workers, halted food aid and threatened travel disruption ahead of Thanksgiving.
- The defection exposed the party's deep split between those demanding a fight against President Trump and GOP leadership and centrists willing to compromise to keep the government open.
State of play: The deal funds the government through January.
- In exchange for reopening the government, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) promised a December vote on extending the ACA tax credits, though the deal didn't guarantee such a measure would pass.
The intrigue: None of the lawmakers who voted to advance the deal will face voters in 2026: Six are not up for election, and two are retiring.
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)
King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats and a former Maine governor, said his effort to broker a compromise "wasn't working."
- He said Republicans had "made it clear" they wouldn't discuss extending Affordable Care Act credits until the shutdown ended.
- King had previously voted to advance the GOP's stopgap proposal and voted in March to avoid a government shutdown.
- He said in a Monday MSNBC interview that the shutdown gave President Trump "more power," citing the chaos surrounding federal food assistance. He added, "standing up to Donald Trump didn't work."
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
Durbin, the Senate Democratic whip, was the only member of the party's leadership to break ranks on the vote.
- He also voted to break a filibuster of a separate funding bill back in March.
- Durbin announced his retirement in April, meaning he is not up for reelection in 2026.
- "This bill is not perfect," he acknowledged in a statement. But he said it "takes important steps to reduce their shutdown's hurt," like funding SNAP and reversing firings initiated during the government shutdown.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)
Cortez Masto had repeatedly backed the GOP's stopgap proposal to end the shutdown and voted to clear the way for the March spending bill.
- She said in a Sunday statement that she had "consistently voted" against elongating the shutdown "because I know the pain it is causing working families."
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)
Rosen, Cortez's fellow Nevada senator, said in a statement it had "become clear" Republicans were "weaponizing their power in alarming ways" to inflict shutdown pain.
- She framed the vote on ACA tax credits as a "concession" Democrats were able "to extract."
- "Let me be clear: I will keep fighting like hell to ensure we force Republicans to get this done," she said.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.)
Fetterman, like Cortez Masto and King, has repeatedly voted to fund the government.
- In a Sunday social media post, he called the shutdown a "failure" and apologized to the military, SNAP recipients, government workers and Capitol Police.
- Axios' Holly Otterbein recently reported that Pennsylvania Democrats are already plotting to run against Fetterman in a 2028 contest.
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)
Hassan, the top Democrat on the congressional Joint Economic Committee, said on X that "with the government reopening shortly, Senate Republicans must finally come to the table."
- She also urged Americans "to continue to speak out about the importance of affordable health care."
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
In a statement on X, Shaheen wrote that waiting longer to end the shutdown would "only prolong the pain Americans are feeling."
- "There is no one in the Senate who wants to see these tax credits extended more than me. But weeks of negotiations with Republicans have made clear that they will not address healthcare as part of shutdown talks."
- She also said at a news conference that the legislation "is our best path" toward reopening the government and extending health care tax credits.
Shaheen has represented New Hampshire since 2009, announcing earlier this year that she would not seek reelection next year, a blow to Democrats' bid to retake the majority during midterms.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
Kaine, in a Sunday statement, said the legislation will protect federal workers and ensure they receive back pay after an administration memo argued they weren't guaranteed compensation.
- He also touted the deal's guarantee for a vote on ACA premium tax credits, suggesting the vote could become fodder for future elections.
- "Lawmakers know their constituents expect them to vote for it, and if they don't, they could very well be replaced at the ballot box by someone who will," he said.
