Following a marathon two-and-a-half-hour meeting on Sunday night, Senate Democrats announced they have secured sufficient votes to end the protracted 40-day federal government shutdown.
A coalition of moderate Democrats, spearheaded by Sens. Angus King of Maine, an independent aligned with the Democrats, alongside Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both from New Hampshire, brokered a deal with Republican members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, and the Senate GOP leadership.
Sen. Collins was at the forefront of crafting a minibus appropriations package. This package aims to fund military construction, veterans affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and the legislative branch. Additionally, it includes a continuing resolution to keep the government funded until January 30.
Sen. Shaheen, who serves on the Appropriations Committee, collaborated closely with Collins in drafting these funding bills.
Sens. King and Hassan were instrumental in persuading Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota to commit to a vote later this year on extending enhanced health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), set to expire at the year’s end.
After the Democratic caucus meeting, Sen. King addressed reporters, expressing confidence that the Senate will pass the agreement. He emphasized that Democratic supporters of the legislation believe the shutdown has persisted for too long.
Asked if he’s confident there would be enough votes to pass the bill, King told reporters: “That’s certainly what it looks like.”
The Senate will go back into session at 8 p.m. Sunday and is expected to vote Sunday evening to end the shutdown.
King said “the length of the shutdown” persuaded Democrats to support the deal, many elements of which had been on the negotiating table for weeks.
He said it became increasingly clear that Republicans were not going to agree to a deal to reopen the government and extend enhanced health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are due to expire in January.
King says there’s still a “chance” the subsidies will be renewed because Thune has promised as part of the deal to give Democrats a vote on the ACA subsidies in November.
“Part of the deal is a vote on the ACA subsidies,” he said.
He said that he and other members of the Democratic caucus want to end the shutdown in the next few days because “a lot of people are being hurt.”
The bill still needs to pass the House, which hasn’t voted since Sept. 19. It then needs to go President Trump’s desk for a signature.
Several Democrats emerged from the meeting, however, pledging to oppose the deal, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
“A wink and a nod to deal with this health care crisis later – with no actual guarantees – is just not enough for me or the Wisconsin families I work for,” Baldwin said in a statement.
Updated at 9:13 p.m.
