The U.S. Senate has taken the first step toward reaching a deal that would end the federal government shutdown. The agreement would fund the government through the end of January, includes language to reverse layoffs of federal employees, and funds SNAP food benefits through the end of the fiscal year.
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen has been negotiating with Republicans and was one of eight senators in the Democratic caucus to vote in favor of this agreement on Sunday. She spoke with NHPR’s Rick Ganley about her decision to support the deal.
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**Failed negotiations over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies initially led to this shutdown. This deal does not include an extension of those subsidies, which your party had been insisting on. So after 40-plus days, what did Democrats really get out of this deal?**
“Well, one of the things I think we did during the shutdown is to highlight for the American people who’s fighting to extend these premium tax credits and keep the costs of health insurance affordable. We are going to continue that fight.
That’s part of what this deal does — it gives us the opportunity to have a vote on the floor of the Senate in December, no later than mid-December, on a bill that we will write. And since we don’t control the Senate or the House, we’re pleased to be able to continue the fight.
Hopefully, our Republican colleagues will understand — and many of them seem to — that this is an issue not just for Democrats but for independents and Republicans, and that they need to come to the table and help us address it.
That’s what we will stay focused on from now until that December vote, and from now until next year, when we have the midterm elections.”
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**I understand you have a promise for a vote to go to the floor by mid-December, but the majority of Republicans have not indicated they would support an extension or that it has been a priority for them in the past. How do you have a guarantee that the vote can go your way?**
“Well, that’s what we’re going to work on, and hopefully the American people will help us do that by letting our Republican colleagues know that this is an issue for everyone.
We know that 76% of premium tax credit recipients are in states that Donald Trump won in the election. So it’s in the interest of our Republican colleagues to address that. And if they don’t, then we will hold them accountable — and the American people will hold them accountable next year in the elections.”
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**Over the course of the shutdown, federal workers have been laid off. People have gone without paychecks and food assistance. Most of that has been a result of decisions made by the Trump administration. But do you wish your party had handled these negotiations differently?**
“Well, I think one of the good things about this agreement is that it ends the government shutdown, which was doing real harm to too many people across this country, whether it’s people who need food assistance.
In New Hampshire, we have 75,000 people who are on SNAP, the food program. We have 19,000 federal workers, including the National Guard, our naval shipyard — Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers, air traffic controllers — all of whom have been working without pay.
We need to get people back to work. We need to make sure they’re getting paid. We’re providing protections for federal workers who were let go during the shutdown. We’re bringing them back and making sure they’re protected going forward.
So we have a lot of work ahead of us, but this is an important agreement to get the government up and running and to end the suffering that people have experienced.”
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**I appreciate that you want to get the government back to work, but this is coming less than a week after Democrats saw big wins in elections across the country. Many have read that as an indication that voters are blaming Republicans for the shutdown. Are you just giving up some leverage here?**
“What we’ve heard from the very beginning is that Republicans weren’t willing to negotiate on health care as long as the government was shut down. So now we’re going to hold their feet to the fire and see if they’re willing to negotiate.
We need to remind people that they need to blame Donald Trump in the White House, Speaker Mike Johnson, and the Republican majority in Congress for where we are. They are the reason we don’t have affordable health insurance and why they’re not willing to extend those premium tax credits.
This is our chance to keep fighting and show the American people who’s on their side.”
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**Are you sure there’s nothing else your party can do to ensure that these Democratic priorities and the will of the public can be met?**
“I think that’s what this fight is about, and we’re going to keep that fight going.
But harming millions of Americans — harming the people in New Hampshire who depend on the food program, harming federal workers, air traffic controllers, and affecting air travel — keeping that suffering going isn’t acceptable.
Here, we’re two weeks from Thanksgiving and in the holiday season. We need to make sure people are back to work and getting their paychecks. And we need to continue the fight to show the American people who’s on their side and who’s doing everything possible to protect health care.”
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**In talking with your Republican colleagues, given that the majority have indicated they would not support an extension of ACA subsidies, do they seem more open to really discussing and possibly extending these subsidies?**
*The interview ended before Senator Shaheen could respond.*
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The agreement to end the shutdown marks a significant but initial step forward, with ongoing negotiations expected concerning the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies and other key issues. Senator Shaheen’s remarks underscore the continuing challenges ahead and the commitment to advocate for affordable health care and support for federal workers and vulnerable Americans.
https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025-11-10/shaheen-says-we-are-going-to-continue-to-fight-after-supporting-shutdown-deal
