We asked, you answered: Did NH’s senators cave too soon on reopening the government?

Eight Democrats—including New Hampshire’s two senators—crossed the aisle to help reopen the government this week, ending a tense Washington standoff. But the deal came without the health care subsidies that keep insurance affordable for millions, and some Democrats say their party gave up too much to break the impasse.

Republican leaders, despite holding the majority in both chambers, have continued to pin the shutdown on Democrats. And with the continuing resolution funding the government only through Jan. 30, 2026, the country could be staring down another shutdown in just a few months.

This week, we asked readers: Did New Hampshire’s senators put people over politics, or cave too soon on the shutdown? Here’s what they had to say…

“I am disappointed in the Senate deal to end the shutdown. The temptation to end the shutdown was great and the pain intensifying. But this turns out to be just one more example of buckling under when more so much was left on the table. There is little hope of Republicans delivering on any of their promises from the deal. You just watch, the ACA subsides will never get that promised vote.” — Bruce Dennis

“Shaheen and Hassan both caved and never we will never vote Hassan again! Looking forward to more progressive leaders that vow not to take corporate dollars and trade stocks.” — Meg Trainor

“Definitely caved!” — Laurie Greenberg

“There was a method to their unpopular choice. There is no negotiating with Trump, because he truly doesn’t care about anyone else. So they had to figure out how to go around him. Now the government is open and people are getting food assistance (which most would not need if the minimum wage meant a living wage) and the Epstein files are being released to expose the rot. And now the Republicans are being forced to own the insurance problem. They have spent years trying to kill the ACA that made sure that people with pre-existing conditions, which is most of us, could get coverage, and made insurance a bit more affordable. They’ve had 15 years to come up with a replacement and failed. Ultimately the only way that we can provide health care is to join the rest of the world in having universal coverage. But yes, after my initial anger I can understand why the eight voted to approve.” — Jonathan Schwartz

“Caved! And left people in the lurch. Not just poor and low-income people, but the entire middle class. All hospitals will be affected, some closing down. And what about seniors? Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid are coming fast. This is Reagan’s trickle down theory in reverse, and it does trickle down this way. All done to help the super rich. Hopefully, people will rise up! SNAP is corporate welfare as are these healthcare subsidies. Time to tax the rich and have Medicare for all, including the super rich. No pay for care, equal excellent care for all. Strong unions and decent wages so people can afford to pay rent, buy food, and live decent lives. Time for a change.” — Elisabeth Dolan

“Caved too soon.” — Dawn Ebbetts

“Some sanity was required—you go girls.” — Ken Clark

“I was rooting for the Democrats to stand firm as long as possible because I am very sceptical of Republican promises to address any issues in the future. However, I feel I have to support Senators Shaheen and Hassan in the attempt to move forward. Neither one is up for re-election, so their motivation is solely what they believe is best for their constituents. In addition; how can you solve disagreements if you aren’t talking to each other? Since the Republicans appeared not to care how much havoc they wreaked by refusing to discuss the solutions to our problems it was incumbent on the Democrats to do what was necessary in this situation.” — JoAnn Carlson 

“People were going hungry, workers weren’t being paid, flights were becoming more dangerous every day and Election Day was in the past! The results of the election made it obvious that the tide had turned and the country was abandoning MAGA, it was time to stop the bleeding, show the country you care and move on to the next battle. The Magnificent 8 probably cemented a House majority and most likely saved a NH Senate seat. Common sense and courage once again saved the day! Duh!” — Mike O’Brien

“In Senator Sheehan I trust. If she says it was the thing to do with all the political knowledge and experience she has, who are we to argue?“ — Jack Law

“Both of our senators deserve credit for daring to terminate the useless and damaging shutdown of our government.Were others waiting for an airline crash to force their agreement?” —Ken Perry

“They did the right thing.People before party.” — Kris Ward

“People over politics.Everyone wants to blame the other party but as a whole we can’t keep funding so much. We as individuals have to keep in our budget so why shouldn’t the federal government be held to the same standard? Everyone has their personal preferences on what is most important and that is where the problem is. NH was ahead of the country, the state made sure SNAP benefits went out. And only 1 day later than usual. Is there a better way to help with food? It used to be that those who needed food could obtain government surplus food. Would that be a better option to go back to?” — Margareta Buczala 

“They caved in right when the pressure was amping up to force the republicans to start negotiating. This is a war for our democracy. There will be pain and suffering required to save it.” — Jim Reilly

“I don’t think the Republicans would back down. As far as they were concerned, we could be shut down forever. Meanwhile, there was a lot of pain caused by the shutdown, people were hungry, air travel was a mess, thousands were unpaid and struggling. So it is likely if the Dems didn’t fold, the misery would continue.” — Judy E.

“No, they did what should have been done long before this! This is a problem that should be handled on its own. Not by a shutdown! I believe shutdowns should not happen, especially at the expense of federal workers. The only way to find solutions is to be involved in the process, not going home so nothing changes and everyday people have to deal with what they don’t want to fix! I’m very disappointed with Chris Papas. He says he’s going to do what’s best for the NH people but he’s proven to just be another politician worried about his fellow democrats giving him a hard time! Why can’t we get things done without making it about parties! I’m an independent for that very reason. I want people not a party to do what’s best for the people!” — Therese Fournier

“I am an independent voter and think the parties are hurting us because they lose sight of how to do what’s right for the citizens of this country, the country, and the world. I vote for who’s going to get the job done. In this case, two of our senators got the job done. Kudos to them for taking the courage to do so.” — Nadine Bergeron-Nutt