These 8 Democrats voted with Republicans on the government shutdown deal. Here's how they explain it

"The Democratic senators eight in total faced almost instant blowback from members of their own party as they voted to allow the Senate to move forward on compromise legislation that would reopen the government. Their decision Sunday night was labeled a betrayal and pathetic by some of the most prominent voices in the Democratic Party. To my mind, this was a very, very bad vote, said Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats."

"Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire Shaheen, a senior Democrat who will be retiring from the Senate, often took the lead in negotiating the compromise legislation to end the shutdown. She had made it a priority to extend subsidies for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act, but she had also expressed reservations about voting to shut down the government. In the end, she settled for a pledge from Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota to hold a vote in December"

Eight Democratic senators broke with their party to allow the Senate to move forward on compromise legislation aimed at reopening the government. The senators faced immediate backlash and were called a betrayal and pathetic by prominent party voices, with Sen. Bernie Sanders calling the vote very bad. The defectors included several senators planning to retire and former governors. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the move as putting principle over personal politics. After extended huddles, the senators concluded the 40-day shutdown had to end. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen led negotiations, prioritized extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, and accepted a pledge for a December vote.

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