A handful of Senate Democrats have reached a deal with Republicans that could put an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
The Senate voted to advance the bipartisan deal, which funds the government through Jan. 30, overcoming the filibuster 60-40. Eight senators who caucus with Democrats voted with Republicans, while GOP Sen. Rand Paul voted no.
Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper voted against the package.
The deal was negotiated by Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both of New Hampshire, and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine. Senate Democratic leadership voted against advancing the bill. It includes a promise of a vote on a Democratic health care bill, protections for federal employees laid off during the shutdown, and passage of three of the 12 full year appropriations bills.
“Instead of bringing forward a plan to extend the health care premium tax credits, President Trump and Washington Republicans have chosen once again to make it harder for everyday Americans to buy health care for themselves and their families. As a result, I will vote no on their funding proposal,” Bennet said in a statement. “We should reopen the government, but I refuse to do it at the expense of families who are simply trying to pay for health care. Coloradans deserve better.”
“Today’s bills failed to address skyrocketing health care premiums caused by the Republican “Big Bad Bill”. So I voted NO,” Hickenlooper said in a statement.
The Colorado Division of Insurance said in late October that approximately 225,000 Coloradans will see their premiums double because of the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credit.
The package also includes passage of full-year appropriations bills for Agriculture, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and the Legislative Branch. It guarantees federal employees laid off during the shutdown are re-hired and receive backpay. It would also prevent more layoffs until the end date of the continuing resolution.
The deal did not include the one-year extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credit, but instead included a promise for a vote on a Democratic bill to do so by the second week of December.
Shaheen said in a statement that “weeks of negotiations with Republicans have made clear that they will not address health care as part of shutdown talks — and that waiting longer will only prolong the pain Americans are feeling because of the shutdown.”
She added that Republican leaders said they are “willing to find a way of extending these tax credits” and that voters “will remember next November if my Republican colleagues block those efforts.”
Final Senate passage of the bill could happen as early as Monday, if a time agreement is reached. It would then go to the House for a vote and the president for his signature before the government could re-open.
Some Colorado House Democrats have said they will oppose the bill.
“I say hell no to any deal that will cause millions of Americans to lose their health insurance,” Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette wrote on social media.
“I’m a hard no on this ‘deal’,” Democratic Rep. Jason Crow wrote. “My constituents deserve enforceable guarantees for their health care and our democracy.”
Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse, who is part of House Democratic leadership, also said he’d be voting no against the deal, as did Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen.
GOP Rep. Gabe Evans criticized Bennet and Hickenlooper for their votes on social media, writing the two "voted again to keep our government closed and continue to hurt our troops, farmers, federal employees and families in need."
