Eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans to begin the end of the shutdown

The Senate took a major step toward reopening the government Sunday; A group of Senate Democrats caved in, joining Republicans in a bid to pass a revamped plan to end the shutdown.

Signs that the shutdown, now in its 40th day, may be over have become clearer by the day, especially with the release of a bipartisan package of spending bills that lawmakers hope to include in an amended bill to reopen the government.

Eight Senate Democrats crossed the aisle to mark the first step in the GOP’s quest to end the shutdown. Many of the lawmakers who defected from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Y) were among those participating in bipartisan talks over the past few weeks.

Those who defected include Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Jeanne Shaheen, DN.H., Maggie Hassan, DN.H., Jacky Rosen, DN.M., Tim Kaine, D-Va. and there was the Senate’s number two Democrat, Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

REPUBLICANS REVEALED MAIN PIECE OF THE SHUTDOWN PUZZLE IN PROPOSAL TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

“The question was: Does the shutdown further the goal of providing the support needed to expand tax credits? Our determination was that it wasn’t going to happen,” King said. “This does not produce this outcome. And the proof of this is the almost seven weeks of fruitless attempts to make this happen.”

Schumer and Senate Democrats have long held out that they would vote to reopen the government in exchange for a solid deal on extending expiring Obamacare subsidies.

However, there is nothing of this kind in the solution developed in the last few days. While there were some wins in the updated continuing resolution (CR), such as reversing layoffs of some workers furloughed by the Trump administration and guaranteeing back pay for furloughed workers, there was no guaranteed victory in sight on the Obamacare issue.

That means Senate Democrats have effectively bowed out with little to show for their efforts on health care, other than a guarantee of a vote on subsidies from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D., reflected in the updated CR.

Schumer criticized the compromise deal and charged that when Republicans rejected a counteroffer from Democrats to extend expiring subsidies by one year, “They showed that they are opposed to any health care reform.”

“This health care crisis is so severe, so urgent, and so devastating to families back home that I cannot in good faith support this CR failing to address the health care crisis,” Schumer said.

Senate in Limbo WHEN THUNE’S EYES CLOSING IS LONG DISTANCE TO THE END

Senate Republicans hope the newly announced spending bill could be the key to reopening the government. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) plans to put the bill and Democrats’ resolve to the test. (Pete Kiehart/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Thune was optimistic the plan would work and reiterated his promise to vote on expiring subsidies. But whatever legislation is produced to solve the Obamacare problem will likely fail.

““No matter what, as I’ve been telling my Democratic friends for weeks, I will schedule a vote on their proposal and have committed to holding that vote no later than the second week of December,” he said.

Progressives at the meeting were also unhappy with the developments.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, suggested it would be a “terrible mistake” for Democrats to cave in without an Obamacare deal.

“If Democrats cave on this issue, they will be said to have given Donald Trump the green light to move toward authoritarianism,” Sanders said. “And I think that would be a tragedy for this country.”

Still, there’s a long way to go before the government officially reopens.

Sunday’s vote was the first of a series needed in the Senate to amend the original continuing resolution passed by the House and combine it with the three-bill spending package and the updated CR; This package, if passed, would reopen the government by January 30, 2026.

Lawmakers hope that, given extra time, they can finish funding the government with spending bills rather than turning to another CR or the massive comprehensive spending package that packs all 12 government funding bills into one law.

“If we blow this window up, we will be stuck with a year-long CR,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

DEMS BLOCK GOP DESIGN TO ENSURE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND MILITARY PAYERS CONTINUE DURING THE CLOSURE

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The shutdown won’t end in the Senate, given that any changes to the legislation would need to be given the green light by the House of Representatives before being introduced to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Unless all 100 senators unanimously agree to move forward with the remaining votes, Democrats could still face procedural hurdles.

But the Obamacare issue still rages on both sides of the aisle. Senate Republicans on Saturday criticized the state of health care, particularly how subsidies funnel money to insurance companies.

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Democrats were still skeptical about whether their frustrations and demands for changes to buy out insurance companies were legitimate.

“The really important point here is whether they are serious, and I question whether that is actually the case,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.