Democratic congresswoman on shutdown vote backlash: 'We had the momentum'
Fallout continues within the Democratic Party over eight senators breaking ranks to end the shutdown without a firm deal on health care subsidies.
"I just think it's unfortunate that Senate Democrats caved and didn't get -- just the pinky swear promise on a vote isn't good enough for me," Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, said. She later added, "I think we had the momentum and we were we could have really reached a deal."
Watch more of the congresswoman's reaction to the party backlash below.
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Senate Democrats 'caved' in voting for funding bill: CongresswomanRep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, says "the momentum was with the Democrats" before the Senate on Monday passed a short-term government funding bill.
ABCNews.com
Nov 11, 2025, 12:10 PM EST
Trump touts 'very big victory' on shutdown in Veterans Day speech
President Donald Trump, in his Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, celebrated Congress moving closer to ending the government shutdown. The Senate passed a government funding deal on Monday night, and it now heads to the House for a vote as early as Wednesday.
Trump thanked military veterans before taking a moment to praise House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Donald Trump and JD Vance depart after participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery to mark Veterans Day on November 11, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
"Congratulations to you and to John and to everybody on a very big victory," Trump said in remarks directed at Johnson. "We're opening up our country. Should have never been closed, should have never been closed."
Nov 11, 2025, 11:45 AM EST
Fetterman defends vote to end shutdown: 'We need to be the party of order'
Sen. John Fetterman, one of the eight Democrats to join Senate Republicans in passing a government funding deal, defended the move as he joined ABC's "The View" on Tuesday.
"When you're confronting mass, mass chaos, you know, I don't think you should respond with more chaos, or fight with more chaos," Fetterman said. "It's like, no, we need to be the party of order and logic."
Sen. John Fetterman appears on "The View," Nov. 11, 2025.
ABC News
Fetterman added, "I refuse to weaponize the SNAP benefit for 42 million Americans, you know, that rely on feeding themselves and their family, or making flying in America, you know, less safe, or I refuse not to pay our military and all of the unions attached to all of this and people. So for me, like, it's like, I don't -- I don't agree with that tactic to respond to circumstances that we're confronting on this."
Amid Democrat infighting after the Senate vote, Fetterman said the party has to "have the ability to agree to disagree on some of these core issues right now."
"It's like reasonable Democrats can disagree on certain kinds of core things, but I hope we could all agree that chaos is the wrong response, or the kinds of chaos that our nation has been in after the president's reelection," Fetterman said.
Nov 11, 2025, 9:51 AM EST
Record government shutdown nears end: Timeline
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history appears to be nearing its end, after senators suddenly advanced a funding deal over the weekend after 40 days of little progress.
The legislation passed the Senate on Monday, now heads to the House before going to President Donald Trump's desk. In the meantime, pain continues to grow for Americans on everything from food assistance to air travel.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks to reporters outside the Senate Chamber after the Senate passed legislation to reopen the government on November 10, 2025 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
