A disastrous shutdown for Democrats bought worse Sunday when Senate Democrats folded on authorities funding whereas receiving nothing of substance in return.
Eight Senate Democrats voted with 42 Republicans Sunday night time on a procedural vote to permit a unbroken decision (CR) funding the federal government to advance.
The movement handed 60 to 40, with no single vote to spare, and can allow a future vote on a clear persevering with decision by way of January 30, 2026, packaged with three comparatively non-controversial appropriations payments extending by way of the fiscal yr: agriculture, army construction-Veterans Affairs, and legislative department.
The settlement contains again pay for federal staff and ensures that the 4,000-plus federal staff laid off through the shutdown might be rehired, in addition to a blanket prohibition on future reductions in drive by way of January 30. These jobs are a drop within the bucket in comparison with the 250,000 or so the Trump administration eradicated earlier than the shutdown.
Most importantly, the settlement doesn’t assure an extension of Covid-era enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies, with Democrats solely receiving assurances of a vote on a invoice of their alternative.
“As I’ve mentioned for weeks to my Democrat pals, I’ll schedule a vote on their proposal, and I’ve dedicated to having that vote no later than the second week in December,” Majority Chief John Thune (R-SD) mentioned on the Senate flooring earlier than the vote.
Even when such a invoice had been to move the Senate, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has not dedicated to bringing it to the ground of the Home.
The result’s that Democrats as soon as once more overpromised outcomes to their base however got here up empty-handed, inflicting forty days of ache for nothing of substance.
Democrat Sens. Maggie Hassan (NH), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Dick Durbin (IL), Jacky Rosen (NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) supported the procedural vote. They joined Sens. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), and John Fetterman (D-PA), who had beforehand voted to permit the Home-passed CR to advance.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul (KY) voted no, as he has completed all through prior rounds of votes.
The result’s one other victory for Thune, who saved the Senate in session over the weekend to hunt a deal, promising to maintain senators working till a deal was struck.
Maybe extra considerably, the vote is the most recent — and most damaging — setback for Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY). His personal rank-and-file members — centrists and probably the most liberal — condemned his shutdown technique Sunday night time.
Schumer is more and more changing into the first villain for the ascendant left contained in the Democratic Celebration, and his maintain on the place of Minority Chief appears more and more tenuous.
In an indication of how poisonous the shutdown finish might be for Democrats, no Democrat senators who voted Sunday to start the method of reopening the federal government are up for reelection in 2026.
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