WASHINGTON | The Senate took the first step to end the government shutdown on Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who say Americans want them to continue the fight.
In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process.
The agreement does not guarantee the health care subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.
A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits.
The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly endorsed the deal and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay.
“The time to act is now,” Thune said.
Both Colorado Democratic senators objected to the proposal.
“Instead of bringing forward a plan to extend the health care premium tax credits, President Trump and Washington Republicans have chosen once again to make it harder for everyday Americans to buy health care for themselves and their families. As a result, I will vote no on their funding proposal,” Sen. Michael Bennet said in a statement.
“Coloradans want lower costs and affordable health care. Today’s bills failed to address skyrocketing health care premiums caused by the Republican ‘Big Bad Bill,” Sen. John Hickenlooper said in a statement. “So I voted NO.”
Aurora Democratic Congressman Jason Crow said if the bill makes it to the House, he’s a “hard no,” as well.
“I don’t take promises from Trump or Republicans in Congress anymore,” Crow said in a social media post. “I’m no fool. My constituents deserve enforceable guarantees for their health care and our democracy. Come back to me when you’re serious.”
Other Colorado Democrats echoed those objections.
Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, President Donald Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”
Five Democrats switch votes
In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes.
The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as 10-12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations. But in the end, only five Democrats switched their votes — the exact number that Republicans needed. King, Cortez Masto and Fetterman had already been voting to open the government since Oct. 1.
The vote was temporarily delayed on Sunday evening as three conservatives who often criticize spending bills, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, withheld their votes and huddled with Thune at the back of the chamber. They eventually voted yes after speaking to Trump, Lee said.
Another Republican, Sen John Cornyn of Texas, had to fly back from Texas to deliver the crucial 60th vote.
Schumer votes no
After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support it.
Schumer, who received blowback from his party in March when he voted to keep the government open, said that Democrats have now “sounded the alarm” on health care.
“We will not give up the fight,” he said.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said giving up the fight was a “horrific mistake.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., agreed, saying that in last week’s elections people voted overwhelmingly Democratic “to urge Democrats to hold firm.”
A bipartisan agreement
Democrats had voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans said they would not negotiate on health care, but GOP leaders have been quietly working with the group of moderates as the contours of an agreement began to emerge.
The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills.
The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.
House Democrats push back
House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.
Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn’t reduce health care costs is a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.
“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.”
Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that “if people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans and said Democrats will continue to fight.
“Donald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,” Jeffries said.
Health care debate ahead
It’s unclear whether the two parties would be able to find any common ground on the health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to bring it up in his chamber.
Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.
Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.
Shutdown effects worsen
Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown have been compounding. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.
Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be “reduced to a trickle” if the government doesn’t reopen.
At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were caught up in legal battles related to the shutdown.
And in Washington, home to tens of thousands of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it is providing 8 million more meals ahead of the holidays than it had prepared for this budget year — a nearly 20% increase.
Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
It’s unfortunate that so many Americans were put through this extended period of fear and inconvenience, but negotiating with hostage-takers only leads to more hostage-taking in the future.
I’m with Jason Crow, don’t trust the GOP, especially under this serial liar – Trump. He and the GOP have been trying to undo Obamacare. They’ve repeatedly said that they had a plan, when they didn’t. Then Trump said he had a “concept” of a plan. Several other GOP liars have alluded to some plan in the works, but each time nada, zippo! This present outfit couldn’t run a one-car funeral. Today, I did some research – from credible sources – not Breitbach, not Fox, or OAN. I got my figures from the Congessional Budget Office. The GOP is refusing to fund $26 billion in 2025 healthcare subsidies, trading the healthcare of hard-working Americans to give $500 billion in 2025 tax cuts primarily going to billionaires, CEOs, hedgefund managers, and other wealthy people. Accepting a vague promise even while Mike Johnson says no guarantees is a fools errand!
Mikey – One of the things that folks on the left fail to realize is that the wealth acquired by billionaires and other wealthy people belongs to them, and you are not entitled to it. This is one of the things that make our country great: that one can legally acquire wealth and the government is not going to take it all away from you. This is not true in many countries.
I have noticed that the people who complain the most about the rich not paying their fair share are those who contribute little or nothing themselves. Dept. of Revenue statistics show that the top 1% of earners pay 46% of tax revenues and the top 10% pay 76% of Federal tax revenues. The bottom 50% of filers pay nothing. Democrat complaints that the rich don’t pay enough is nothing more than stirring up “class warfare” for political advantage.
We cannot afford the enormous welfare state we have created as evidenced by our outrageous national debt. We are acting like a compulsive gambler who knows he is destroying himself and his family, but cannot stop. We are just getting started on the kinds of cuts we are going to have to make if we are to prevent a total economic collapse in the future. We need to gradually wean ourselves off government assistance starting with those not in dire need. The government cannot function as everyone’s mommy and daddy.
Kirk, your comments are precisely correct but far left wing radicals, (socialists), will never agree and will always fight rather than change or compromise. The experiment in NYC will show fairly quickly what we both are trying to tell our citizens.
Lastly Jason Crow says, “he’s no fool”. Half of Colorado wouldn’t agree with his self description of his leadership.