Copyright CBS News
The Senate on Sunday evening voted to advance a House-passed measure to fund the government, marking a possible end to the ongoing stalemate and paving the way to reopen the government later this week. The vote marks the start of what could be a lengthy series of procedural votes in the Senate, since any one senator can slow the process down. In all, eight Democrats joined Republicans in the 60 to 40 vote. The vote had fallen short 14 times before Sunday's breakthrough. Neither of the eight Democratic Party votes came from Michigan's Sens. Gary Peters or Elissa Slotkin. "I have repeatedly said I can't get behind a deal that doesn't take immediate action to prevent Michiganders' health care costs from skyrocketing more than they already have. But Republicans have made it clear they won't even lift a finger to address rising health care costs in this country," Peters said in support of his "no" vote. Peters said he was "relieved" that a deal would "increase resources for desperately needed food assistance," but added that "President Trump has shown he is comfortable both denying people affordable health care and letting children go hungry in order to get what he wants." He concluded that "millions of Americans are getting the rug pulled out from under them as they see their health care costs are going through the roof," and vowed, "I won't stop fighting to strengthen the Affordable Care Act." Slotkin issued a statement following her "no" vote, saying that to earn a go-ahead from her corner, "Republicans would have to do something to bring down the cost of health care for working and middle-class Michiganders. The promise of a vote in over a month does not meet that threshold." Slotkin said that, under Mr. Trump, America has been "plunged" into a "health care crisis." "This emergency has real-life victims, and in Michigan, the average price of health care is increasing across the board with some expected to see their premiums more than double," Slotkin said. "What's clear is that the old way of doing business continues to fail America. Leadership is about changing and adapting when there is real need, and unless we hear that, we will fail to meet the moment." Senate GOP leaders are expected to move to amend the legislation to attach a package of full-year appropriations bills as part of a deal to end the shutdown, along with an extension of the temporary funding measure to keep the government funded through January.
