LEILA FADEL, HOST:
A group of Senate Democrats have defected to agree to a deal with Republicans to end the government shutdown.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
In a few moments, we will speak with one of the Democratic senators who voted to reopen the government. This measure received 60 votes in the Senate last evening - exactly enough. John Thune, the Republican leader, is looking to work through Senate procedures in days to come.
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JOHN THUNE: I am optimistic that after almost six weeks of this shutdown, we finally - we'll finally be able to end it.
INSKEEP: Most Democrats still voted no, saying the agreement gives them no assurance on their central demand, which was extending subsidies for health insurance.
FADEL: NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales has been following this and joins us now. Good morning, Claudia.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: OK. So for weeks, we've seen fits and starts of talks, blame games, both sides dug in. Now this group of rank-and-file Senate Democrats is breaking with leadership to move this deal forward. What's actually in the agreement?
GRISALES: Well, the package includes a stopgap measure to fund the government through the end of January. It also includes full-year appropriations funding plans for some federal agencies and services. It will pause planned cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, and also reverses federal worker layoffs installed by the Trump administration during the shutdown and protects the workforce from more cuts for a few months, to the end of January. Democrats who defected also got a promise of a vote on health care. As you remember, the party has fought a Republican stopgap measure to reopen the government to address expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that's spiking premiums, but they didn't quite get there.
FADEL: OK, but that was the main demand, right? I mean, how...
GRISALES: Right.
FADEL: ...Did this group of Democrats get to yes if they didn't get their top demand to protect Affordable Care Act credits?
GRISALES: Right. They've been separately negotiating with Republicans for some time now, and they said that they could not get this deal from Republicans. They were pretty adamant. So the impacts and the chaos growing for federal agencies or workers, and then we saw flight delays and cancellations across the country - this also created new pressures for Democrats, these who defected. And the group also argued that growing numbers of people were being hurt, and the plan includes a long list of wins for their party. So in the end, seven Democrats and one independent joined Republicans to get this plan across this key procedural hurdle.
FADEL: But they broke with leadership, right? And most Democrats voted no. And what did the rest of the party say then about what they did?
GRISALES: Well, some were pretty furious. This defection came after an hourslong meeting for Senate Democrats. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who voted no - he argued that regardless of the outcome, Democrats have put a spotlight on health care.
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CHUCK SCHUMER: We are going to fight legislatively, fight back home, fight in the courts and bring this fight in the elections.
GRISALES: You could also say there's a political calculus here with Schumer and other leaders voting against this deal. They're hoping they're insulated from blowback from their party, but that remains to be seen after Democrats left that meeting last night. I heard the angriest response from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren. She said this was a terrible mistake. And when she was asked if Schumer did a good job leading the caucus on this, she said, I think the American people want us to stand and fight for health care. Obviously, that is not happening. So this was always going to be an ugly ending. Democrats could come out of this pretty bruised, but some would argue Republicans will not be left unscathed either.
FADEL: So what happens next? When can travelers expect to see their flights resume and people's food benefits to be paid in full?
GRISALES: Well, the Senate still has a few more hurdles before final passage. But if that happens, the House will take it up in the coming days, and we could see those flights and food benefits get back to business in the coming week or so.
FADEL: That's NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales. Thank you.
GRISALES: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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