The federal government reopened after the longest shutdown in U.S. history following a deal brokered by centrist lawmakers with Senate Republicans. Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic said many Senate Democrats had hoped the shutdown would create bargaining leverage, even as flight delays and SNAP interruptions mounted. CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes observed that the outcome is now unknowable because eight Senate Democrats chose to end the standoff rather than escalate it further. The episode explored the political costs and what the compromise could signal for Democratic strategy going forward.
Government Reopens After Longest U.S. Shutdown — What the Deal Means for Democrats
The federal government reopened after the longest shutdown in U.S. history following a deal brokered by centrist lawmakers with Senate Republicans. Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic said many Senate Democrats had hoped the shutdown would create bargaining leverage, even as flight delays and SNAP interruptions mounted. CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes observed that the outcome is now unknowable because eight Senate Democrats chose to end the standoff rather than escalate it further. The episode explored the political costs and what the compromise could signal for Democratic strategy going forward.
01:38 PM, 11/16/2025Politics
Government Reopens After Longest Shutdown in U.S. History
This week the federal government reopened after what has been described as the longest shutdown in the nation’s history. On Washington Week With The Atlantic, panelists examined how centrist lawmakers negotiated a short-term deal with Senate Republicans and considered what the agreement might mean for the Democratic Party going forward.
Growing frustration within the Democratic caucus
“There are Senate Democrats who feel that the whole point of this risky enterprise in the first place, triggering a shutdown, was because eventually, over time, they felt that they would gain enough leverage over Republicans,”
— Nancy Cordes, chief White House correspondent, CBS News
Cordes and other panelists noted the real costs of the shutdown: mounting travel disruptions, rising logistical headaches, and harmful impacts on social programs such as SNAP. Many Democrats hoped the pressure would force concessions from Republicans, but eight Senate Democrats ultimately voted to end the standoff rather than prolong the disruption.
Who weighed in
Joining the guest moderator and Atlantic staff writer Vivian Salama were: Natalie Andrews (White House correspondent, The Wall Street Journal); Nancy Cordes (CBS News); Andrew Desiderio (senior congressional reporter, Punchbowl News); and Jeff Mason (White House correspondent, Reuters).
Article originally published in The Atlantic.