6 House Democrats explain breaking with party to end shutdown

Six House Democrats have explained their decision to break with their party and vote for legislation that ended the government shutdown. These Democrats, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Jared Golden, Adam Gray, Don Davis, Henry Cuellar, and Tom Suozzi, voted with most Republicans to pass a bill that extended government funding through January 30th and continued funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through September. They expressed that the partisan infighting in Congress was not serving their constituents and that urgent problems needed to be solved. The lawmakers emphasized that ending the shutdown ensured the continuity of critical programs like SNAP, which benefits millions of Americans, and prevented essential services and federal workers from being held hostage in political negotiations. They stated that their vote was a commitment to their constituents' well-being, especially with holidays approaching, and to avoid further suffering and instability caused by government closures. Some of the Democrats also highlighted the importance of addressing other pressing issues, such as health insurance affordability, and expressed their hope for bipartisan cooperation on these matters. They believe that by taking this st... download the app to read more