The Senate took a major step toward reopening the government Sunday as eight Senate Democrats crossed party lines to join Republicans, breaking the 40-day shutdown deadlock.

The defections—by Sens. Angus King, John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, Tim Kaine, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin—marked a clear setback for Democratic leadership. Despite receiving no firm deal on Obamacare subsidy extensions, they supported a revised Republican plan designed to temporarily reopen the government.

The bipartisan effort centers on attaching a three-bill spending package to an updated continuing resolution (CR) that would fund federal operations through January 30, 2026. Senate Majority Leader John Thune pledged only a future vote on the health-care subsidies, far short of the year-long extension Democrats had demanded.