Eight Senate Democrats, together with one independent who caucuses with the Democrats, voted to end the government shutdown by supporting a continuing resolution with Republicans. The eight names most frequently cited in coverage from early November 2025 are:

• Dick Durbin (Illinois)
• Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
• Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire)
• Jacky Rosen (Nevada)
• Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada)
• John Fetterman (Pennsylvania)
• Tim Kaine (Virginia)
• Angus King (Independent from Maine, caucuses with Democrats)

Notes:

• Several reports describe this group as a “Cave Caucus” or as eight Democrats who broke with the party leadership on this particular funding measure, with the expectation of a future vote on extending health-care subsidies tied to the Affordable Care Act. The exact framing or terminology may vary by outlet, but the common thread is their bipartisan agreement to move forward a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government.

• Coverage also discusses internal party criticism and strategic calculations, including concerns about health-care subsidies and the leverage dynamics within the Senate minority and the broader political landscape.

• Public reactions and political analyses from various outlets reflect divergent interpretations—some viewer/readers see it as pragmatic governance, others as a partisan concession.

If you’d like, I can pull up the most recent updates or provide a side-by-side view of each senator’s stated rationale, voting history, and current term end dates.