In a dramatic twist to the political saga gripping the nation, California Governor Gavin Newsom did not mince words as he criticized Democrats who, in a surprising move, collaborated with Republican counterparts to forge a late-night agreement aimed at resolving the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. As tensions simmered, a cohort of seven Democrats and one Democrat-leaning Independent joined forces with Republicans late Sunday night in a Senate vote, paving the way for a temporary funding measure to keep the government running until late January. This pivotal agreement emerged victorious with a 60-40 vote in the Senate, marking a significant step forward in the 40-day deadlock. The House is expected to convene on Monday to send the bill to President Donald Trump for his approval.

The repercussions of the shutdown had been severe, affecting 42 million Americans who were left without access to their SNAP benefits, causing airlines to cancel thousands of flights, and leaving over a million federal workers without pay. While some Democrats welcomed the breakthrough, Newsom’s reaction was anything but celebratory. He took to X, calling the compromise a “pathetic” deal, exclaiming, “America deserves better.” His press office echoed his sentiments, dismissing the agreement as a surrender, with a stern reminder to “not bend the knee.” California Democrat Ro Khanna further fueled the fire, calling for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down due to what he saw as ineffectiveness. “Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” Khanna asserted, questioning Schumer’s leadership abilities in light of rising healthcare premiums.

The group of Democrats who sided with Republicans included Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Independent Angus King of Maine. Reflecting on the vote, King expressed skepticism about using a government shutdown as leverage, stating to CNN, “I never thought that shutting down the government was leverage against the Republicans, and that was proven to be the case.” He acknowledged the necessity of action but questioned the efficacy of the shutdown strategy, asking, “What do you do now?” Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, who voted in favor, highlighted assurances that laid-off federal workers would be reinstated with back pay. “This legislation will protect federal workers from baseless firings,” Kaine emphasized, underscoring the importance of the bill in rectifying the situation for federal employees and ensuring the continuity of essential government services.

He said the pain of the government shutdown was worth it for federal employees who could now be assured they would not face sudden termination. But Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has gone head-to-head with Trump repeatedly during his second administration, argued ‘this is not a deal — it’s an empty promise. ‘Trump and his Republican Congress are making healthcare more expensive for the middle class and ending it for working families. Time for Democrats to stand tall for affordable healthcare.’ Democrat Senator John Fetterman, who has repeatedly voted in favor of ending the shutdown, told his colleagues to do what it takes to get the deal passed and consider the American public. ‘It’s like, take the win. You know, we had an election, and it went well on Tuesday,’ he said. ‘You want to overplay your hand. America, people are not leverage, and it’s not about a political game.’

Trump weighed in on the progress when he returned to the White House on Sunday prior to the vote, telling reporters: ‘It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending. We’ll never agree to give any substantial money, or any money, to illegals that come into this country, and I think the Democrats understand that.’ The deal includes a clause guaranteeing federal employees who were fired during the shutdown would have their jobs reinstated, as well as an assurance that such measures would not take place in the future. It also ensures food stamp funding through the end of the 2026 fiscal year. Democrats had previously voted 14 times against Republican continuing resolutions to reopen the government while negotiations were ongoing. Party leaders had up until this point refused to work with the GOP to reopen government unless they agreed to an extension of subsidies for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As part of the newly agreed upon deal, the ACA will be put to a vote by mid-December.

Despite holding a majority in Congress, Republicans only have 53 seats in the Senate, falling short of the 60 votes needed to pass a funding bill. Both parties have been uneasy about the shutdown’s escalating consequences. They are eager to get the government running again before the situation worsens. Concerns range from delayed flights and unpaid federal workers to economic strain and suspension of food assistance for vulnerable families. The crisis reached boiling point last week as 42 million Americans who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were informed the money had run dry due to the shutdown for the first time in history. Already, upwards of 730,000 government employees are working without pay and a further 600,000 have been furloughed as a result of the crisis. Then, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that staffing shortages as a result of the shutdown are worsening, potentially reducing air travel to a trickle right in time for the holiday season. On Sunday alone, more than 2,000 flights were canceled into, out of, or within the United States and a further 7,000 delayed.

The travel chaos will only get worse as airlines are mandated to gradually reduce their schedules further over the next week. But the bulk of the Senate Democrats were not on board with the decision to work with Republicans to end the shutdown, and could still introduce procedural hurdles that could delay final passage of the bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer emerged from a closed door meeting on Sunday evening after news broke that Republicans had secured the numbers they needed. ‘I’m voting no,’ he said, adding that everyday Americans ‘need healthcare.’ Senator Elissa Slotkin said: ‘I always said, like, it’s got to do something concrete on health care, and it’s hard to see how that happened.’ And Senator Bernie Sanders warned it ‘would be a policy and political disaster’ to cave to the Republican demands after such a resounding win during state elections last week. ‘My own thought is that it would be a horrific mistake to cave in to Trump right now,’ he said. ‘Essentially, if Democrats cave on this issue, what it will say to Donald Trump is that he has a green light to go forward toward authoritarianism, and I think that would be a tragedy for this country.’

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he and other House members are committed to ‘fight’ the deal. ‘We will not support spending legislation advanced by Senate Republicans that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,’ Jeffries said. ‘We will fight the GOP bill in the House of Representatives, where Mike Johnson will be compelled to end the seven week Republican taxpayer-funded vacation.’ But Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine revealed he would vote in favor of the proposal after securing a promise to give laid-off federal workers their jobs back, with back pay. ‘This legislation will protect federal workers from baseless firings, reinstate those who have been wrongfully terminated during the shutdown, and ensure federal workers receive back pay, as required by a law I got passed in 2019,’ Kaine said. ‘That’s a critical step that will help federal employees and all Americans who rely on government services.’ He said the pain of the government shutdown was worth it for federal employees who could now be assured they would not face sudden termination. New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen acknowledged that in voting with the Republicans, she had upset some of her colleagues, but she argued there was no better solution.

‘I understand that not all of my Democratic colleagues are satisfied with this agreement, but waiting another week or another month wouldn’t deliver a better outcome,’ she said. ‘There was no vote that we were going to get on the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.’ Texas Representative Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn’t reduce health care costs is a ‘betrayal’ of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight for them. ‘Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn´t a compromise – it´s capitulation,’ Casar said in a post on X. ‘Millions of families would pay the price.’ Both Shaheen and Illinois Democrat Durbin are retiring in 2026. The remaining six liberals who voted with the Republicans are not facing re-election until at least 2028. Senators Fetterman, Cortez Masto and Hassan will next go to the polls in 2028, while Kaine Rosen and King aren’t up for re-election until 2030. Senate Majority Leader John Thune hopes to pass the measure tomorrow and have it sent to the House to be voted on as early as possible. ‘We’ll see how motivated people are tomorrow,’ he said after the late-night voting session on Sunday.

Public frustration with the prolonged shutdown had been intensifying, increasing pressure on both parties to reach an agreement. Trump partially blamed poor results for Republicans in last week’s state elections on the shutdown. But amid negotiations, a high-ranking Democrat acknowledged the political leverage hardships caused by the shutdown create for her party. Massachusetts Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Minority Whip of the United States House of Representatives, admitted families struggling during the shutdown could be used as ‘leverage’ for her party. ‘Shutdowns are terrible. And of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously, but it is one of the few leverage times we have,’ Clark said. The House of Representatives has been in recess since Republicans passed their funding bill, leaving the resolution of the shutdown in the hands of their Senate colleagues. The Trump administration was ordered to address food insecurity which had come as a result of the shutdown by fully funding SNAP benefits by tapping agriculture reserves.

SNAP typically costs about $9 billion a month. The Trump administration planned to cover only 65 per cent of November benefits using contingency funds until the order by District Judge Jack McConnell in Rhode Island. The administration appealed, arguing courts cannot appropriate funds, and on Friday the Supreme Court temporarily blocked McConnell’s order, giving the White House more time to fight the mandate. As a result, full benefits remain uncertain, and partial payments promised by the USDA have yet to reach most households. The fallout has been immediate. Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief network, reported a sixfold spike in traffic to its food-bank locator, with more than 28,000 daily visitors seeking help. ‘This situation is catastrophic,’ said Monica Lopez Gonzales, the group’s chief marketing and communications officer, told Fortune. Right now, 42 million people are having a hard time affording groceries, and their lives are being disrupted because their benefits have been disrupted.’ Food banks across the country are seeing longer lines and empty shelves. The lines are getting longer, and the food is running out early,’ Gonzales said. ‘We see veterans, older adults, moms, and kids – everyone is stressed.’