Eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted with Republicans to advance and pass the key bill that ended the 40‑day government shutdown in November 2025.

Who They Were

The seven Democratic senators were:

  • Dick Durbin (Illinois)
  • Tim Kaine (Virginia)
  • John Fetterman (Pennsylvania)
  • Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada)
  • Jacky Rosen (Nevada)
  • Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire)
  • Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)

They were joined by one independent who caucuses with Democrats:

  • Angus King (Maine)

What Their Vote Did

  • These eight broke with most of their caucus to support a Republican-backed funding bill that secured a 60–40 Senate vote, clearing the way to reopen the federal government after an unprecedented 40‑day shutdown.
  • The deal funded most agencies into late January and included provisions like restoring or protecting SNAP benefits and reversing layoffs that had occurred during the shutdown.

Political Fallout

  • Their votes drew sharp criticism from many Democrats who wanted to keep holding out until ACA premium tax credits were renewed as part of any funding package.
  • Supporters argued these senators prioritized federal workers, SNAP recipients, and broader economic stability over continuing the shutdown, even at the cost of intraparty backlash and future primary challenges.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.