(WASHINGTON) — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end on Wednesday night, after six House Democrats joined Republicans to pass a funding package in a narrow 222-209 vote.
The Democrats’ defections helped push the bill over the finish line, as two Republicans opposed against the measure to reopen the government. President Donald Trump signed the bill in the Oval Office shortly after it was passed.
The moderate Democrats who voted yes were Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Adam Gray of California, Don Davis of North Carolina, Henry Cuellar of Texas and Tom Suozzi of New York.
They all cited the growing impacts of the shutdown on Americans as a reason why they moved to end the 43-day impasse, despite Democratic leadership opposing the funding package because it does not address their key demand of extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year.
“Tonight, I voted to end this partisan car crash of a shutdown. Nobody likes paying even more money to insurance companies — and the fight to stop runaway health insurance premiums won’t be won by holding hungry Americans hostage,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement. “Americans can’t afford for their Representatives to get so caught up in landing a partisan win that they abandon their obligation to come together to solve the urgent problems that our nation faces.”
Gray said it was not a “perfect deal,” but one “born of compromise,” and touted how the bill will extend funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and SNAP for a full fiscal year.
“Some critics have asked why I supported the bill when it did not include an immediate extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. Here’s why: Protecting families from hunger today does not prevent us from lowering health care costs tomorrow,” he said.
“People are hurting right now — they are in pain!” Davis said after the vote.
When asked by ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott if the impacts of the shutdown outweighed everything else, Davis said “absolutely.”
“And it is listening and hearing from constituents who are deeply, deeply concerned. They’ve been affected in ways that we don’t even understand,” he told ABC News’ Scott.
“Parents are telling their kids to eat more at school because they don’t know if they’re going to be able to eat when they get home,” Davis continued, adding “This is real.”
But Democrats are now dealing with infighting after eight Senate Democrats and the six House Democrats broke ranks to end the shutdown without a deal on ACA subsidies. The agreement to end the shutdown included a promise from Senate Republican leadership to hold a vote on health care subsidies in the coming weeks, but Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to such a vote in the House.
Democrats who voted to reopen the government said the fight will continue on the ACA, as premiums are set to skyrocket for recipients next year.
“Now, with the shutdown ended, Congress should take immediate action to extend expiring ACA premium tax credits that keep health insurance plans affordable for millions of Americans. We still have a window to pass bipartisan legislation to extend these credits,” Golden said.
Suozzi echoed that sentiment.
“Everyone knows that I have been preaching bipartisanship for years. I am relying on the representations of some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, that they want to get something done to extend the Premium Tax Credits,” Suozzi said.
“If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are willing to work together to address this health insurance affordability crisis by extending the premium tax credits, then we will have accomplished something meaningful,” the New York Democrat added. “If we are not successful, it will deal yet another blow to the already eroding trust in Washington, D.C., and it will be clear who failed to deliver.”
ABC News’ Arthur Jones II contributed to this report.
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