The Senate finally took a big step toward ending the government shutdown on Sunday — and it happened after several Democrats caved under pressure from President Trump and Senate Republicans.
After 40 long days of a Democrat-driven shutdown, cracks began to show. Eight Senate Democrats broke ranks and sided with Republicans on a plan to reopen the government and get federal workers paid again.
Among those who crossed the aisle were Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Tim Kaine of Virginia. Their message was clear: the shutdown was backfiring, and the American people had had enough.
“The question was, does the shutdown further the goal?” said Sen. Angus King, who also joined the Republicans. “Our judgment was that it will not.”
For weeks, Democrat leaders like Chuck Schumer insisted they would only end the shutdown if they got a deal to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies — a demand Republicans rejected. The new bipartisan bill includes no such guarantee. Instead, it focuses on restoring pay for furloughed workers and reversing some of the firings that happened during the shutdown.
In other words, the Democrats blinked — and President Trump stood firm.
Schumer fumed over the compromise, accusing Republicans of being “against healthcare reform,” while Bernie Sanders called the decision to give in a “horrific mistake.”
“If Democrats cave on this issue,” Sanders said, “it will say to Donald Trump that he has a green light to go forward toward authoritarianism.”
Republicans saw it differently. Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised the bipartisan package and promised to allow a vote on healthcare later — a move that effectively took away the Democrats’ last excuse to keep the government closed.
“I’ve said for weeks, I’ll schedule the vote,” Thune said. “But first, we’re going to get this government back open.”
The updated continuing resolution would reopen the government through January 30, 2026, giving lawmakers time to complete the full-year spending bills. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota warned that if Democrats drag their feet again, “we’re going to get stuck with a yearlong CR.”
Republicans say the shutdown should never have happened in the first place — that it was fueled by Democrats’ obsession with protecting Obamacare subsidies and appeasing their progressive base.
Now, with several Democrats finally joining Trump’s call to end the gridlock, momentum has shifted. The message is clear: America wants the government open, paychecks restored, and politics put aside.
The next move is up to the House. But one thing’s for sure — President Trump’s pressure campaign is paying off. The longer Democrats tried to hold out, the more they lost.