Group of Democratic Senators side with Republicans to end the government shutdown

November 10, 2025 – WASHINGTON, DC – Amid massive flight cancellations affecting millions of travelers and millions of federal workers having not been paid in weeks, seven Democratic senators and one independent Senator joined nearly all of the Senate Republicans in a key vote that would be the first step in reopening the government and ending the disastrous partisan shutdown.

This bipartisan move came after weeks of gridlock and mounting public pressure, as the consequences of the shutdown became increasingly severe. The decision by these Democratic and independent senators to cross party lines was seen as a pragmatic effort to address the urgent needs of federal employees and the broader public. Their votes signaled a potential breakthrough in negotiations, offering hope that essential government services would soon be restored and that the impasse in Congress might finally be resolved.

The bipartisan deal does not include Democrat's demands that any deal to reopen the government include extending controversial Obamacare insurance subsidies that have been a major driver of the nation's budget deficit.

There are 53 Republican Senators, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) voted no on ending the shutdown and moving the continuing resolution forward. This meant that the GOP needed eight Senators to cross the aisle. They got exactly what they needed.

Senator John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) has been strident in his opposition to the shutdown – voting with Republicans throughout this to end this partisan spectacle and fund the government.

"I don't think much anything has been accomplished for the last 40 days except a lot of chaos and a lot of upheaval," said Fetterman.

On Sunday he was joined by Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Tim Kaine ( Virginia), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), and Jacky Rosen (Nevada). Rosen, Masto, and Fetterman represent swing states that voted for Trump in 2024.

Sunday's vote to cut off debate and end the Democrats partisan filibuster (it takes 60 votes to end a filibuster) is the first step toward in reopening the government. More votes in the Senate will follow in coming days.

The deal includes a promise to guarantee a up or down vote on whether or not to extend the costly Obamacare subsidies that have contributed to exploding deficits ever since the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014,

Both Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) opposed the deal.

The deal would still have to pass the U.S. House of Representatives which has been on vacation since mid-September while Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) waited for the Senate to stop their bickering and pass a clean C.R. From there the C.R. would need President Donald J. Trump's signature.

Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) said on X, "Tonight I voted again to reopen the government-this 40 day shutdown is finally nearing an end."

(Original reporting by the Washington Post and CNN were used in this report.)