WASHINGTON D.C. — Democratic senators from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia are split over a bipartisan Senate deal to reopen the federal government.
The bill passed 60-40 late Sunday night. If it's approved it would then need to pass the House and gain President Donald Trump's signature to become law and reopen the government.
The agreement would fund the government through Jan. 31, restore federal workers fired during the 40-day shutdown, guarantee back pay, and ensure funding for SNAP benefits through September 2026. It also includes a pledge from Senate Majority Leader John Thune to hold a vote in December on extending Affordable Care Act premium tax credits — a key Democratic priority.
Despite that commitment, all but one of the senators from the region (all Democrats) voted no citing the bill’s failure to immediately extend the health care subsidies.
Delaware’s senators, Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, were among the first to reject the deal.
"Promises don’t make premiums go down," Blunt Rochester said. "My Republican colleagues in the Senate and House Republican leadership have shown no evidence that they can be trusted, nor do they share our commitment to urgently address this crisis."
Blunt Rochester said she supports the bill’s protections for federal workers and nutrition programs, and noted it includes state reimbursement language mirroring her SNAP Back Act.
Coons also opposed the deal.
“I’m voting against the bill today given it doesn’t extend these valuable tax credits,” he said referring to the Affordable Care Act. “President Trump and Republicans have not negotiated with Democrats and seem determined to continue to inflict harm on vulnerable Americans.”
Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks echoed those concerns and also announced they would vote no.
“Not only does it fail to address the impending explosion in working Americans’ health insurance costs, it also lacks the necessary guardrails to stop President Trump from ignoring the law and withholding funds for important priorities," Van Hollen said.
Alsobrooks criticized the current deal for doing “absolutely nothing” to help working Marylanders afford insurance.
“I made a promise to the people of Maryland that I would always vote in their best interests. That’s why I’m voting NO,” she said.
From Virginia, Sen. Mark Warner also voted no, calling the deal a “short-term fix” that leaves families behind.
“We owe the American people more than a short-term fix that leaves working families staring down a health care crisis,” Warner said. “Simply kicking the can down the road is not good enough.”
The only senator from the region to publicly support the bill was Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who said he would vote yes because the deal delivers on two core priorities: protecting federal workers and setting a path to address health care costs.
"This deal guarantees a vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which Republicans weren’t willing to do. Lawmakers know their constituents expect them to vote for it, and if they don’t, they could very well be replaced at the ballot box by someone who will," Kaine said.
Kaine added that while the bill is not perfect, it provides needed relief now and ensures federal workers receive back pay.
A final vote on the bill in the Senate is expected this week. If passed, it will return to the House of Representatives for consideration before going to federal workers receive back pay, for his signature.