The Senate moved Monday toward ending the nation’s longest government shutdown, but the deal, struck with Republican leaders and backed by eight Senate Democrats, has fractured the party and reignited debate over how to confront President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The 60–40 vote to advance the spending package, reported by The New York Times, came on Day 41 of a shutdown that has furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers, left millions of Americans uncertain about food aid, and snarled air travel across the country.
The bill funds the government through January and includes retroactive pay for furloughed workers, as well as three separate spending measures for agriculture, military construction and legislative agencies.
Trump praised the agreement as “very good,” telling reporters at the White House, “We’ll be opening up our country very quickly.”
But the move drew condemnation from many Democrats who had insisted any reopening of government include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of 2025. According to The Wall Street Journal, those subsidies help make coverage affordable for more than 20 million Americans, a key point of leverage in Democrats’ standoff with Republicans.
“The shutdown wasn’t achieving its goal, and it was at the same time hurting a lot of people,” said Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats and voted for the deal. “Now we have a path forward.”
King called the agreement “a win for the American people,” arguing that the pledge from Republican leaders to hold a future vote on health care subsidies offers “at least a chance” to preserve the benefits.
Others saw it differently. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont called the vote “a very, very bad” one, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin said the terms were too weak. “A wink and a nod to deal with this healthcare crisis later — with no actual guarantees — is just not enough for me,” she said.
Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, who leads the House’s progressive wing, said “accepting nothing but a pinkie promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation.”
The Guardian reported that the revolt has sparked calls for new leadership within the Democratic Party, with some lawmakers and activists urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down after eight members of his caucus broke ranks. “Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” said Rep. Ro Khanna of California. The progressive nonprofit Our Revolution echoed that demand, calling Schumer “inept” for failing to keep Democrats united.
Even as Schumer himself voted against the bill, he found himself the target of frustration from both sides, criticized by progressives for not holding firm and by moderates for letting the shutdown drag on.
“This is a defining moment for the party. We need new faces with bold new ideas,” Khanna told NBC News, adding that “the American people are tired of a failed status quo.”
Meanwhile, the practical effects of the shutdown continue to ripple. According to CNN, airline delays surged 14 percent over the weekend as air traffic control staffing shortages deepened. Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed, with crews missing connections and travelers stranded for hours. Although a federal court ruled that food assistance must continue, millions of low-income families remain uncertain about when benefits will resume.
Republican leaders, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, urged quick passage of the deal. “People have suffered for long enough,” Thune said on the Senate floor.
But for many Democrats — especially progressives representing working-class and Black communities hit hardest by the shutdown — the fight over healthcare funding has underscored deep inequities that will outlast the political standoff.
Khanna and other critics warned that allowing subsidies to lapse would raise premiums for millions, disproportionately harming low-income families and people of color who benefited most from the Affordable Care Act. “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?” Khanna said.
As the bill heads to the Republican-controlled House for a vote later this week, Democrats face a difficult test of unity — and of trust among voters who expected the party to stand firm.
“America deserves better,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Accepting nothing but a pinkie promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation.”