Nevada Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto Vote to End Government Shutdown
On Sunday, the Senate took an initial step to end the government shutdown after moderate Democrats, including Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada, agreed to move forward.
Rosen and Cortez Masto supported proceeding without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, which upset many in their caucus who wished to continue opposing the shutdown.
Senate Vote and Legislative Process
In a procedural test vote, the Senate approved moving toward passing a compromise funding bill by a 60-40 margin. This vote sets the stage for a later decision on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that expire in January.
The final approval of the funding bill may take several days, especially if Democrats raise objections and attempt to delay progress.
Affordable Care Act Subsidies Controversy
The agreement does not guarantee that the ACA subsidies will be extended, a key demand of Democrats during nearly six weeks of negotiations.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) voted against advancing the package, joined by most of his Democratic colleagues, with only eight Democrats supporting the move.
Nevada Senators' Positions and Political Context
Although Cortez Masto has repeatedly backed Republican-supported bills to end the shutdown, the Nevada senators had previously differed on strategy. Rosen emphasized that Nevadans did not send her to Washington to "cave" to Republicans.
However, the financial and social impact of what became the longest shutdown in American history weighed heavily on both senators’ decisions.
Summary
Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto crossed party lines to support a government funding measure without guaranteed ACA subsidy extensions, provoking intra-party conflict amid historic shutdown pressures.
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