Copyright The Boston Globe
The US Senate took its first steps toward reopening the federal government Sunday as eight Democrats joined their Republican colleagues to approve a compromise that temporarily funds the government in exchange for a standalone vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits in December. The deal to end the longest shutdown in American history – now at 40 days – has infuriated Democrats who were holding out for a guarantee that the health care subsidies would be extended. Notably, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against the deal. So did Rhode Island’s two US senators. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse weren’t quite as critical of the deal as other senators in the chamber – Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Chris Murphy of Connecticut called it a “mistake” – but they took to social media to explain their opposition. “I am a no on the CR agreement,” Reed wrote on X. “I respect my colleagues on both sides, but the American people don’t deserve a preventable increase in health care costs.” Advertisement Whitehouse said Republicans “will pay a heavy political price if they do not follow through on their commitment to work in a bipartisan way to lower skyrocketing premiums.” “I personally don’t believe them, but would be thrilled to be wrong,” Whitehouse wrote on X. The deal would fund food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch through September 2026, and the rest of the government through the end of January. It also reinstates federal workers and guarantees them backpay during the period in which they were furloughed. There are several more steps before the government fully reopens, but all signs suggest the Republican-led US House of Representatives will support the deal. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here. Advertisement Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.
