Why some Democrats defected to end the shutdown

Post Reports

The Washington Post

Daily News, Politics, News

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🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 21 minutes

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Summary

After weeks of holding out, a small group of Senate Democrats voted with Republicans over the weekend to start the process of reopening the government. Since the U.S. government closed its doors on Nov. 1, services like federal food assistance have suffered, and Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service help lines have paused as those workers face furloughs.

But Democrats had maintained that the pain was worth it, in order to extract more money from Republicans to fund health care subsidies for people who access insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Now, that demand has fallen by the wayside.

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with national political reporter and Senate expert Liz Goodwin about what it will still take to reopen the government, and why this funding compromise has further divided Democrats.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Laura Benshoff with help from Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is finally expected to come to an end.
0:08.4	After weeks of holding out, a small group of Senate Democrats changed their position.
0:14.2	On Sunday night, they voted with Republicans to start the process of reopening the government.
0:20.0	Breaking news tonight, the U.S. Senate takes a key first step toward reopening the government.
0:24.6	You are taking a live look at the Senate floor.
0:27.6	Senators just advanced a bipartisan agreement to fund the government until the end of January.
0:33.6	Here's New Hampshire Democratic Senator, Chaheen explaining her reasoning.
0:38.2	I understand that not all of my Democratic colleagues are satisfied with this agreement.
0:43.3	But waiting another week or another month wouldn't deliver a better outcome.
0:48.9	It would only mean more harm for families in New Hampshire and all across the country.
0:53.4	But the vote left others in the Senate furious.
0:56.4	This is Bernie Sanders and independent from Vermont.
0:59.1	What this Senate is about to do is make a horrific situation even worse.
1:14.8	From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post reports.
1:18.6	I'm Colby Ekowitz. It's Monday, November 10th.
1:23.8	Today, why some Democrats are siding with Republicans to reopen the government.
1:28.6	I talk with national political reporter Liz Goodwin about how we got here and why this funding compromise has Democrats angry at each other.
1:41.0	Liz, thank you so much for joining me on this busy news day. Thanks for having me.
1:45.5	So Liz, this government shutdown has lasted more than 40 days, and Americans are feeling it.
1:52.0	There's major flight disruptions, low-income Americans can't afford groceries, thousands of federal workers are going without pay.
1:59.8	But now there is suddenly a light at the end of the tunnel, like a path to reopening.
2:05.2	There was a deal that was struck between Senate Republicans and a small group of Senate Democrats.
	...

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