Democrats rebel after 8 senators cut a deal to end the shutdown without ACA funds

Question

In November 2025, a group of eight senators mostly Democrats and one independent—joined Republicans to advance a deal that ended a prolonged government shutdown. The compromise passed a key Senate vote 60–40 but notably excluded provisions to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, a central Democratic demand that had triggered the shutdown in the first place.

The defecting senators included Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Angus King (I-ME). Their decision drew sharp criticism from progressive lawmakers and activists, who viewed the move as a betrayal of the party’s commitment to healthcare access. Senator Bernie Sanders called the vote “a policy and political disaster,” while others warned it weakened the party’s leverage against President Trump’s agenda.

The deal reopened the government but left many Democrats frustrated, arguing that the party had surrendered without securing meaningful concessions. This episode highlights internal divisions over strategy and priorities, especially when facing high-stakes negotiations that affect millions of Americans relying on federal programs.

Answer 1

After further investigation, this claim is true, after 43 days of the government being shut down, which is the longest in United States history. During this shutdown, the main reason for it being so long was due to democrats fighting for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but eight democrats ended up cutting a deal without funding for ACA. The agreement ended with a 60-40 voting ratio, which in turn sparked heavy controversy and criticism amongst the democratic party. When asked, Senator Brian Schatz said, "But what we have to make sure of now is that the health care fight lives outside of the appropriations process and doesn't depend entirely on the government being shut down. So now we have a fight in front of us” (CBS News). The democrats who voted with the republicans have stated other agreements that were worthy of support, including reversing government layoffs, funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, etc. There has been a lot of talk inside the House and outside of it about wanting to replace some Senators as they believe they aren’t doing their job or keeping their promises. Although the House decided to cut funding, other democratic senators still believe they can fight in other ways to help health care for those who need it. 

Sources: 

Msn:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-rebel-after-8-senators-cut-a-deal-to-end-the-shutdown-without-aca-funds/ar-AA1Qb2vi?ocid=BingNewsSerp

NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-rebel-8-senators-cut-deal-end-shutdown-aca-funds-rcna242994

CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-deal-senate-democrats-health-care/