CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Virginia’s junior U.S. Senator Tim Kaine is among a group of ten Democrats who agreed on a 60-40 vote ending a filibuster on a House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the federal government while senior Senator Mark Warner is opposed.

The development is a rare divergence from the two who usually agree on major policy.

The resolution includes a Trump Administration commitment to rehire federal workers fired during the shutdown while promising a Senate floor vote on continuing the Obamacare subsidies that expired September 30.

In a statement, Kaine said, “This deal guarantees a vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which Republicans weren’t willing to do. Lawmakers know their constituents expect them to vote for it, and if they don’t, they could very well be replaced at the ballot box by someone who will.”

Kaine continued, “This legislation will protect federal workers from baseless firings, reinstate those who have been wrongfully terminated during the shutdown, and ensure federal workers receive back pay, as required by a law I got passed in 2019. That’s a critical step that will help federal employees and all Americans who rely on government services.”

Warner released a statement saying, “I appreciate that this proposal includes important language preventing further mass layoffs of federal employees. That’s a critical step in protecting our public servants from this administration’s campaign of retribution, and something I’ve long pushed for.”

Warner continued, “But I cannot support a deal that still leaves millions of Americans wondering how they are going to pay for their health care or whether they will be able to afford to get sick. We owe the American people more than a short-term fix that leaves working families staring down a health care crisis, and simply kicking the can down the road is not good enough. Families are already struggling with rising prices on everything from groceries to housing. I will keep working in the Senate to bring costs down and relieve the pressure on working families who are already paying more because of President Trump’s policies that are driving prices up instead of lowering them.”

A vote on the resolution comes later this week.