The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end Wednesday night after 43 days of a bitter stalemate between Democrats and Republicans. While the reopening of the government is undoubtedly a win for President Donald Trump and the Republicans, it’s seen as a missed opportunity to many Democrats, as they failed to secure the very thing they’ve been fighting for—an extension of the Obamacare tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year.
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Prior to the vote in the Senate, which took place earlier this week, eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus secured a promise from Senate Majority Leader John Thune that he would hold a vote in December on the subsidies. But the outlook looks arguably bleak, especially considering that on Monday night, the Senate voted 47-53 along party lines not to extend the Obamacare (formally known as Affordable Care Act) tax credits for one year. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will not bring the measure for a vote.
On Wednesday, after the Republican-penned funding bill passed the House vote, Trump swiftly signed the measure and the majority of his party celebrated what is widely seen as a victory for them.
The bill was able to get to the House, as eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus broke with the Democrat line and voted with the majority of the Republicans.
Of the eight who broke from the Democrat line in the Senate, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and long-time Trump critic, said that he must be “much more alarmed about the future of our country and the world we’re trying to build than they are.”
A similar scene took place on Wednesday in the House, where the bill passed through the House with 222 votes to 209. Six Democrats broke away from the party line and voted with the majority of the Republican Party to reopen the government, despite there being no assurances secured regarding the long-fought-for health care items. (Republicans Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Gregory Steube of Florida were the only members of their party to vote “no.”)
Two House Reps. were absent from voting—Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.) and Republican Michael McCaul (Texas). Coleman said she was unable to travel to Washington, D.C., due to health issues, but urged a vote against the bill, saying it “will cost lives.”
After the government reopened, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was strongly against any Democrats voting for the Republican-penned funding bill, demanded to know what the Republican’s “health care plan” would be moving forward. Schumer directed his online questioning to Speaker Johnson, who has yet to respond.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries doubled down on Thursday, despite the vote having passed.
“The Republican spending bill failed to address the cost of living crisis. Or extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. That’s why House Democrats strongly opposed it,” he said.
Here’s what to know about the six Democrats who voted with the Republicans to bring the government shutdown to an end.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas)
Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar said that he voted to reopen the government “so we can get critical programs” such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) back on track. He also mentioned the disruption to air travel as another critical concern.
“This stability is especially important for our border communities, where so many families depend on federal agencies to keep trade, travel, and public safety moving,” he reasoned.
Cuellar, who has represented the 28th district since 2005, argued that the shutdown had created “unnecessary hardship” for the communities he represents.
The Representative called on Congress to extend ACA tax credits, citing it as the “clear” next step, as a spike in health insurance prices would impact families “already stretched thin,” including those in his Texan district.
Cuellar had previously voiced support for the change in voting intentions among members of the Senate Democratic Caucus earlier this week. “This marks the most meaningful movement toward compromise in weeks.. It’s past time to put country over party and get our government working again for the American people,” he said on Nov. 10.
Rep. Donald G. Davis (N.C.)
Rep. Donald Davis, who has represented North Carolina’s District 1 since 2023, initially intended to oppose reopening the government, but he changed his stance as “an increasing number of families shared with me that they have been suffering daily.”
“To support my constituents, alleviate the suffering of our families as the holidays approach, and bring vital resources to eastern North Carolina, I voted to reopen the government,” said Davis, who went on to accuse both parties of failing rural communities in America.
Much like his fellow Democrats, Davis said he is still determined to procure a change on the items that his party fought for. “The battle for healthcare is not over,” he vowed.
Rep. Jared F. Golden (Maine)
Throughout the shutdown, Rep. Jared Golden has criticised both parties for their conduct.
“I just voted to reopen the government, pay federal workers, and get food assistance and other critical programs up and running again,” said Golden after the House vote.
Golden, who has represented Maine’s 2nd district since 2019, urged Senators to extend ACA healthcare premiums, despite it not being secured in the Republican-penned funding bill.
“We still have a window to pass bipartisan legislation to extend these credits,” said Golden, expressing hope that progress will be made.
At the start of the shutdown, Golden blamed “far-left” members of his party, whilst still voicing opposition to Republican proposals to cut health care premiums.
“This government shutdown is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump,” he said on Oct. 1.
Rep. Adam Gray (Calif.)
Rep, Adam Gray, in his first year representing California’s 13th district, also voted in favor of the bill on Wednesday.
Outlining his decision, Gray wrote an opinion piece in the local Turlock Journal. Making reference to the major upset caused to SNAP recipients across America, he argued that “we shouldn’t run a government by holding hungry families hostage.”
Gray said that 47,000 Americans in his district were affected by delayed SNAP payments during the shutdown, and criticised the government for failing to fund the benefits even after a court order instructed the Trump Administration to make November’s payments in-full.
“No parent should have to choose between feeding their children and keeping the lights on because someone in Washington thinks chaos is a negotiating tactic,” said Gray.
The Representative added that the “compromise” made in the House “put the pressure back where it belongs: on Congress.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.)
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was critical of the Senate following her vote to approve the bill Wednesday night, arguing that challenging health care premium rises “won’t be won by holding hungry Americans hostage.”
Perez labelled the government shutdown an “ugly scene,” which “has been a case study in why most Americans can’t stand Congress.”
The Representative, who has held her seat for Washington’s 3rd district since 2023, argued that it’s “ time for Congress to get back to work and build an economy where people aren’t yanked around by partisan interests.”
Perez has advocated to reopen the government since the beginning of the shutdown, working with Reps. across the board in Washington since early October. “My bipartisan team and I will continue to provide constituent services during the government shutdown,” she said on Oct. 3
Rep. Thomas Suozzi (N.Y.)
Rep. Thomas Suozzi said he has “been preaching bipartisanship for years,” following his decision to vote in support of the Republican-fronted legislation.
Suozzi criticized the government shutdown’s impact on air travel, which has resulted in thousand of delayed and cancelled flights across the U.S. But his main concern, like many of his peers, was the impact on SNAP benefits.
“We cannot rely on the White House, which has chosen to make this process needlessly painful for many families who rely on SNAP to put food on the table for children, the elderly, veterans and the disabled,” he said..
Suozzi, who has led New York’s 3rd district on Long Island since 2017, said that should an agreement be made to extend Obamacare tax credits for one more year, then “we will have accomplished something meaningful.”
“If we are not successful, it will deal yet another blow to the already eroding trust in Washington, DC, and it will be clear who failed to deliver.”
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