Here are the eight Senate Democrats who withdrew before the shutdown

The Senate on Sunday began the process to end the nation’s longest government shutdown after eight Democratic senators reached a deal with Republicans that did not include Democrats’ key demand to extend increased health care subsidies for those who receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Democrats who voted to reopen the government were:

Three of these senators (Fetterman, Cortez Masto and King) have voted with Republicans to begin debate on the funding bill since the shutdown began.

These eight senators broke ranks with most Democrats and Democratic Party voters who saw the shutdown as a necessary maneuver to curb President Donald Trump’s autocratic turn and prevent Republicans from raising health care costs for millions of Americans. It seemed as if the shutdown benefited Democrats politically. Polls showed Republicans and Trump took most of the blame and Democrats cruised to victory in the off-year election on November 4.

The decision to withdraw now risks taking the wind out of the party’s sails and turning the party’s base even further against the party’s leaders, as they rage at Trump’s authoritarianism and the Democratic Party’s failure to stop or stop him.

Each of the eight senators highlighted the pain caused by the shutdown to government workers and the public, while touting Republicans’ promise to hold a vote to restore Affordable Care Act subsidies as a major victory.

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“This deal gives Democrats control of the full Senate, at a time when Republicans control all levels of power, in one of our top legislative priorities,” Shaheen told reporters on Sunday.

“It’s a victory for those people who are so insistent on protecting our health care,” King said. “Our view is that the best way to do it is to introduce a bill. Is there any guarantee that it will pass? No. Is it a guarantee that it will pass? In the House, there is actually a lot of interest in the House.”

King noted that it seemed unlikely that Republicans would ever agree to restore expiring health care subsidies in negotiations.

“The question was, as the shutdown progresses, does a fix to the ACA become more likely? It seems not,” King said.

Kaine also echoed this point in justifying his support for the agreement.

“This was the reality: SNAP recipients were suffering, nothing was happening with the ACA,” Kaine said. “Tonight’s vote will be complete, and not just last year’s, but full, robust SNAP funding and a path to the ACA. So, out of suffering and no path, we now have solid benefits and a path.”

The senators also argued that putting health care subsidies on the floor will require Republicans to take a tough vote that, if not passed, can be used against them in 2026.

“We now also have the opportunity to put Republicans on the record on the ACA,” Cortez Masto said in a statement. “If Republicans want to join us in reducing costs for working families, they have the opportunity to do so. And if they don’t come to the table, they will own the premium increases they cause.”

Others pointed to the growing pain caused by the Trump administration’s refusal to release food aid funds in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“This bill is not perfect, but it takes important steps to reduce the harm of the shutdown,” Durbin said. “Not only would it fully fund SNAP for next year, it would reverse the massive layoffs the Trump administration ordered during the shutdown.”

And at least one of the folding senators was offended by those who criticized his decision.

Critics of the deal “need to understand how the Senate works,” Durbin said on CNN. “We have taken this issue as a major national issue from zero to a major factor.”