Government Shutdown 2025 Update: Which 8 Democrats Voted With Republicans to End the Shutdown?

Eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus crossed party lines on Sunday night, voting with Republicans to advance a bipartisan deal that would reopen the U.S. federal government. The vote followed weeks of political deadlock in Washington and growing public pressure as millions of Americans felt the effects of the prolonged shutdown. The group includes Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Jacky Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen. Their decision helped the Senate move forward with legislation designed to fund the government and guarantee a future vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, one of the most outspoken critics of the shutdown within his party, said he could not justify government workers missing paychecks. “We need to stop hurting the people who keep this country running,” Fetterman remarked. Former New Hampshire governor Maggie Hassan was among those who helped broker the ACA-related compromise. She highlighted the financial strain of higher insurance premiums and the human toll of stalled federal programs. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, representing one of the largest federal workforces in the country, said reopening was essential to reinstate wrongfully terminated employees and guarantee back pay. “This legislation protects workers from politically motivated firings,” he said. Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine played a major role in negotiating the deal. As a former governor, King emphasized the importance of compromise, saying, “We are closer to the possibility of helping people with their health care than we were a week ago.”