House passes funding bill to end 43-day shutdown, with 6 Democrats breaking ranks for bipartisan support.
In the end, it wasn’t particularly close. Six Democrats crossed the aisle to support the bipartisan Senate funding bill that will re-open the federal government until at least January 30:
The 222-to-209 vote came on Day 43 of the shutdown and days after eight senators in the Democratic caucus broke their own party’s blockade and joined Republicans in allowing the spending measure to move forward, prompting a bitter backlash in their ranks. It was the first time the House had held a vote in nearly two months, as it took an extended recess during the shutdown.
Six Democrats joined Republicans in approving the bill. Only two Republicans voted against it, Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Greg Steube of Florida. .
In the House, the six Democrats who voted to reopen the government were Representatives Adam Gray of California; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington; Jared Golden of Maine; Henry Cuellar of Texas; Tom Suozzi of New York; and Don Davis of North Carolina. All represent swing districts.
The outcome was all but guaranteed after the vote on the rule. That passed with 219 votes, signaling the eventual approval of the new funding package. House Democrats whipped against it, but the aforementioned swing-state Democrats decided to go with the flow.
