Nevada’s Jacky Rosen joins Catherine Cortez Masto in Senate vote to end federal shutdown

By Mark Robison, Reno Gazette Journal

Nevada’s two Democratic senators helped break a logjam Sunday as part of a bare-minimum 60-40 vote to end the federal shutdown.

Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen joined five other Democrats and one independent to move forward legislation to fund most federal agencies through Jan. 30.

In addition, the Senate bill would also provide back pay to federal workers who have been furloughed, reverse layoffs and prevent any new firings until Jan. 30.

The next steps will be a formal debate with final vote in the Senate, a House vote and then President Donald Trump’s signature.

Rosen had been a no-vote on ending the shutdown as she held out for extending health care subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.

The tax credits help people with Affordable Care Act health insurance — Obamacare — pay their premiums. Millions of people benefit from the subsidies, including an estimated 95,000 Nevadans.

One additional concession that came in Sunday’s vote is that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, agreed to allow a vote in December on whether to extend the health insurance tax credits for a year.

Because Republicans are the majority in the Senate, the measure is unlikely to pass but it would put Republican senators on record as allowing the health care premiums to go up in cost.

“Trump and his Republican cronies on Capitol Hill do not give a damn about hurting working people, and their conduct over the last month has been nothing short of appalling,” Rosen said in a statement.

“The concession we’ve been able to extract to get closer to extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits is a vote on a bill drafted and negotiated by Senate Democrats. Let me be clear: I will keep fighting like hell to ensure we force Republicans to get this done. Nevadans and all Americans deserve access to affordable health care, and Senate Republicans need to work with us in a bipartisan way before the next deadline.”

Cortez Masto has consistently voted since September to keep the government open, saying that a shutdown only causes pain for many Americans and empowers President Donald Trump.

“With the government open, we can focus on passing a full, bipartisan budget for 2026,” she said in a statement. “That starts with a minibus that will restore funding President Trump cut, deliver millions of dollars in critical funding to Nevada, and block the Administration from future RIFs (reductions in force).”

Cortez Masto also highlighted getting Republicans on the record about extending health care tax subsidies.

“If Republicans want to join us in lowering costs for working families, they have the chance to do so,” she said. “And if they do not come to the table, they will own the premium increases they cause.”

The other senators breaking ranks were Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats; Tim Kaine of Virginia; Dick Durbin of Illinois; John Fetterman of Pennsylvania; and Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, both of New Hampshire.

They’re already receiving blowback for their votes.

New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, who was one of Democrats’ biggest winners during last week’s off-year elections, accused her fellow Democrats in the Senate of “caving on a bill that the American people can’t afford.”

“Making this deal is malpractice,” she said in a statement.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X, “Pathetic.”

Joey Garrison of USA Today contributed to this story.

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect