Democrats fold on biggest government shutdown demand

Moderate Senate Democrats moved to end the government shutdown on Sunday night, abandoning the party's 40-day standoff without much to show for it.Eight Senate Democrats broke ranks to advance a deal that reverses shutdown RIFs, funds the government until late January, promises a vote on Affordable Care Act tax credits and funds several agencies.Why it matters: Democratic negotiators acknowledged that negotiations were going nowhere. In the end, fatigue and frustration triumphed over anger and anxiety at President Trump."It wasn't working," Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Senate Democrats, said of his effort to broker a compromise."It's been six weeks. Republicans made it clear they weren't going to discuss the health care issue, the Affordable Care Act tax credits until the shutdown was over," he said. "After 40 long days, I'm hopeful that we can finally bring the shutdown to an end," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).The big picture: Democrats had sworn the shutdown would continue until Affordable Care Act tax credits were extended for 22 million people. As recently as Friday, Democrats said they'd end the shutdown in exchange for a one-year extension of the credits. But Sunday's deal was to hold a vote, not a guarantee it will pass. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called the promise a "meaningless gesture" and predicted "the House is not going to take it up."Between the lines: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) insisted Democrats gained ground on health care. He voted against the deal, along with every Democratic senator who will be facing voters in the 2026 midterms."Health care costs made a major impact on the 2025 election, and they will certainly have an even greater impact on the 2026 election," Schumer said.The rest of his leadership team also voted against the deal, aside from retiring Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). That's a stark reversal from Democratic leaders' move last March to support a spending stopgap, which led to a meltdown from the Democratic grassroots. Zoom in: Persistent conversations from a trio of former governors — King, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) helped bring a deal to fruition. A promise from the White House to rehire federal workers also helped. The deal came together Sunday afternoon after weeks of talks between centrist Democrats, GOP interlocutors and Republican leaders.It was expected earlier in the week, but the Democrats' big electoral wins on Tuesday night (and those margins) reminded them of what victory tastes like — and they held out for more. There were also delays in writing legislation.The bottom line: Federal workers will get paid, food assistance will flow and flights should resume normal schedules — just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.The immediate crisis is over, but the deep divisions in American politics will persist.Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Sen. Angus King is from Maine (not Vermont).

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