Yesterday — after actually working over the weekend! — and after 41 days of internecine battling and agonizing suspense — the U.S. Senate finally agreed to a compromise bill that would end the longest government shutdown in this country’s history.

Now it just has to pass the House of Representatives, hopefully sometime this week.

But it took eight former holdouts — seven Democrats and an Independent — to break the stalemate. They were Democrats Dick Durbin, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Jeanne Shaheen, Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman and Jacky Rosen, and Independent Angus King, who caucuses with the Democrats.

Many are now castigating them as traitors to the people who still may lose their medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But they did not give up everything; and with so many lower-income Americans in danger of going hungry because of Donald Trump’s punitive defunding of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), they are saying they felt it was essential to get food back onto people’s tables, re-open the government, send hundreds of thousands of workers back to their jobs and on salary, and deal with the ACA issue after that.

So, exactly what did the compromise bill cover?

First, although no one likes to be the one to swerve in a game of chicken, it had become obvious that Trump was pulling the Republican strings (as always), and didn’t care how many children or old folks starved or died of disease; he simply wasn’t going to give an inch on health care. Maybe because it was originally called Obamacare, after his arch nemesis (or one of them), former President Barack Obama.

Whatever his reasoning, ACA was the principal roadblock, and nothing was going to move until it was resolved. So the eight Democrats finally agreed to put it on the back burner — not to surrender it, but to table it until after the wheels of government were turning once more.

In exchange, the Republicans agreed to fund the government through January 2026, in addition to an extension of funding through fiscal year 2026 — ending September 30th — for several key agencies, including those that control federal food aid, veterans programs, military affairs, and others.

Interestingly, the extended bill includes $203.5 million in new funding for enhanced security measures and protection for members of Congress, in addition to $852 million for U.S. Capitol Police. [Annie Grayer and Sarah Ferris, CNN, November 10, 2025.]

Methinks the legislators are feeling, shall we say, somewhat unpopular with their constituents at present, and more than a little vulnerable.

Of course, the compromise bill still has to be passed by the House of Representatives, so there are no guarantees. But with the recent surge of Democratic wins, and mid-term elections coming up, let’s hope they’re smart enough to see the writing on the wall if they cause this shutdown to drag on any longer.

And then, of course, it will have to be approved by Donald Trump . . . though it’s hardly likely that he would veto it when he’s been controlling it all along. And he’ll still have the fight over ACA to keep him occupied.

*. *. *

In brief, I can see both sides of the argument for and against the compromise, and whether the eight Democrats were right to call a halt to the shutdown.

Happily, I am not a recipient of SNAP benefits. But as a single, senior woman on a fixed income, I can empathize with those who are dependent on that assistance in order to feed their families because their incomes are not sufficient to keep up with ever-increasing costs. And my Medicare supplemental insurance premiums have become a tremendous burden on my budget; but I can’t afford to be without the coverage, because Medicare covers so little. So I concur with those who decided it is essential that everyone get back to work as soon as possible, and the salaries and benefits that are covered by our tax dollars begin to flow again.

On the other hand, I despise the thought of having to give in to an administration that looks after itself and its friends, and doesn’t give a damn about the welfare of the people who voted them into office, and whom they are sworn to serve and protect.

Sometimes, life simply isn’t fair.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/11/25