The group includes moderate Democrats, independents, four former governors, and two senators who have announced their retirement. No one will be running the race in 2026.
Senate signs deal to end historic government shutdown
Lawmakers agree to end longest government shutdown in history and reopen government through January 30th
WASHINGTON – Eight Senate Democrats broke away from their party and joined with Republicans in voting in favor of a deal late Nov. 9 to reopen the government.
The group includes moderate Democrats in the Senate, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, four former governors, and two senators who have announced they will retire at the end of their terms. None of the eight candidates will be up for re-election in 2026.
The deal, pushed forward by the Senate on a 60-40 vote, includes a promised December vote on reopening the government by Jan. 30, reversing federal employee layoffs and expiring Obamacare subsidies.
But the bill does not guarantee an extension of the aid, which Democrats have been demanding for weeks. Eight Democratic senators are facing widespread criticism from within their own party for capitulating one of the principles they have long touted. A similar phenomenon occurred in March during a potential funding impasse that ultimately did not result in a government shutdown.
Here are the eight Democratic senators who voted to advance the latest deal and how they explained their Nov. 9 vote.
Catherine Cortez Masto, Democrat – Nevada
“I have consistently voted against the government shutdown because I know it hurts working families, from TSA employees to government contractors,” said Cortez Masto, who voted for the original Republican bill to reopen the government several times.
“We also have an opportunity now to put Republicans on the record on the ACA. If Republicans want to help lower costs for working families, they have a chance to do so. If they don’t come to the table, they will be responsible for the premium increases they cause,” she said.
Dick Durbin, Illinois
“At the request of Democrats, today’s bill is not the same bill we rejected 14 times,” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Durbin said in a statement.
“Republicans have finally woken up and realized that Groundhog Day needs to end. This bill is not perfect, but it takes important steps to lessen the pain of the government shutdown. In addition to fully funding SNAP for the next year, the bill would reverse the mass layoffs ordered by the Trump administration during the government shutdown.”
Durbin has announced that he will not run for re-election in 2026.
John Fetterman, Democrat, Pennsylvania
“After 40 days of opposing the government shutdown, this is the 15th time I have voted in favor of reopening,” said Fetterman, who has consistently voted with Republicans in favor of reopening the government throughout the government shutdown.
“I’m sorry to the military, SNAP recipients, government workers, and Capitol Police who haven’t been paid for weeks. This should never have happened. This was a mistake,” he said.
Maggie Hassan, Democrat, New Hampshire
Senators such as New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan last voted in favor of the Republican funding bill during the threat of a government shutdown in March.
She refrained from speaking this time – until now – arguing that the damage caused by the expiration of Obamacare subsidies is significant enough to risk the consequences of a government shutdown.
“After weeks of bipartisan dialogue, today I voted to reopen the government so I can get back to work supporting the people of the Granite State,” Hassan said in a statement on Nov. 9 explaining his change of heart.
“This agreement funds SNAP and food assistance programs, secures paychecks for law enforcement, air traffic controllers, and other federal employees, reverses the president’s recent reckless layoffs and prevents future layoffs, and, crucially, gives Congress a clear path to protect people’s health care.”
Tim Kaine, Democrat, Virginia
One Democratic vote came from Kaine, a popular former governor and the party’s 2016 vice presidential nominee.
“I’ve said for years that to win votes, we need to fix the Republican health care mess and move toward protecting federal workers,” Kaine said in a statement. “This vote guarantees a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credit, but Republicans don’t want to vote for it. Lawmakers know they expect voters to vote for it. If they don’t, there’s a good chance they’ll be replaced at the polls by someone who does.”
Angus King, I Main
“Tonight’s agreement is a victory for the American people,” King said at a nightly press conference. “And this is a victory for the people who are advocating what I always hear, to protect our health care. In our judgment, the best way to do that is to pass the bill. Is there a guarantee that it will pass? No. Is there a guarantee that it will pass in the House? In fact, there is very strong interest in the House, and there is a possibility that a bipartisan bill will be introduced.”
Jacky Rosen, Nevada
“For the past 40 days, I have held President Trump and my Republican colleagues accountable and fought tooth and nail to get Congress to act to prevent dramatically higher health care costs for millions of hard-working families who will be economically hurt by higher health care costs,” Rosen said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, as we enter the second month of the Republican government shutdown, it has become clear that President Trump and the Republican Party in Washington are weaponizing their power in surprising ways to inflict unimaginable suffering on working people, including withholding SNAP benefits entirely, shutting down air travel and gutting the tourism industry.”
Jean Shaheen, New Hampshire
Another Democratic vote came from one of the party’s retiring senators.
“For more than a month, I’ve made it clear that both reopening the government and extending the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credit are my priorities,” Shaheen wrote in a post on X. “This is the best path to achieving both of those goals.”
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
