The Senate took a hopeful step toward reopening the government. Some Senate Democrats joined Republicans to support a new plan to end the shutdown.
After the government has been shut down for 40 days, there are signs that things might be changing. Lawmakers are working on a plan to add spending bills to a revised bill that would reopen the government.
Eight Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to start the process of ending the shutdown. Some of these Democrats had been talking with both parties to find a solution.
Senators Angus King, John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, Tim Kaine, and Dick Durbin crossed party lines on the vote.
Senator King said that the shutdown was not helping to get more support for tax credits. He said that seven weeks of trying had not worked.
Democrats had said they would only vote to reopen the government if they got a good deal on extending Obamacare subsidies.
But the plan that was developed did not include this. While there were some good things in the updated plan, like reversing some worker firings and promising back pay, there was no guarantee of success on the Obamacare issue.
This means that Senate Democrats did not get much for their efforts on healthcare. They were only promised a vote on the subsidies by Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Senator Schumer criticized the deal, saying that Republicans rejected a plan that would have extended the subsidies for a year. He said that this showed they were against healthcare reform.
Senator Thune said he was hopeful that the plan would work. He repeated his promise of a vote on the subsidies.
Senator Sanders said it would be a “horrific mistake” for Democrats to give in without a deal on Obamacare.
The vote was the first step in a series of votes needed in the Senate to change the original bill passed by the House. The new bill would reopen the government until January 30, 2026.
Lawmakers hope that this extra time will allow them to fund the government with spending bills, instead of another short-term bill or a large spending package that combines all 12 government funding bills into one.
Senator Hoeven said that if they miss this chance, they will be stuck with a year-long short-term bill.
The changes to the bill will need to be approved by the House before going to the President.
