Reps. Golden, Suozzi, Gray, Perez, Davis, and Cuellar cross the aisle to reopen the government.
Six House Democrats voted with Republicans on Nov. 12 to pass a package reopening the federal government.
Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Marie Perez (D-Wash.), Don Davis (D-N.C.), and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) voted in favor of the bill, which cleared the chamber 222–209 and was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Wednesday night.
The crossover votes came amid a party dispute over Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits that are expiring at the end of the year. Democratic leaders urged a no vote, saying the package does not extend the credits and would allow premiums to rise during open enrollment.
“House Democrats will strongly oppose any legislation that does not decisively address the Republican health care crisis,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said earlier in the day.
Republicans said the vote was a necessary step to restore pay and services and to lock in full-year funding for military construction and veterans’ programs, the legislative branch, and Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration accounts. They said health policy can be debated separately after reopening the government.
“Let’s get this government back open,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said during debate on the House floor prior to the vote.
The House action followed a 60–40 Senate vote, where seven Democrats and independent Angus King of Maine—who caucuses with Democrats—joined Republicans to advance the same plan. That split widened the rift inside the party over whether to reopen first and address health care later or to condition support on an immediate extension of the ACA credits. Senate backers pointed to a promise of a December vote on subsidies by Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
Most House Democrats opposed the bill on the floor, citing premium spikes and potential coverage losses. The six Democrats who voted yes did not deliver speeches in the debate but provided comments after the vote.
Five of the six Democrats who crossed the aisle posted brief explanations on X, while Gray did not issue a public statement at the time of publication.
By Chase Smith
