(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – From the position of never having to face voters again, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was one of eight Senate Democrats to join Republicans in voting to reopen the federal government.

“After a record government shutdown of 41 days and fourteen roll calls failing to re-open it, the situation was clear,” Durbin said on the Senate floor Monday. “Donald Trump and the Senate Republican leadership were willing to do anything to reduce skyrocketing health insurance premiums—a terrible problem facing some 24 million American families. Food pantries in my state and across the nation were overwhelmed when President Trump stopped SNAP food payments to 42 million Americans, one third of whom were children. Food pantries [were] being overwhelmed, as well, by unemployed workers who’d been laid off and furloughed because of the government shutdown.”

Durbin said he hoped Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) would keep his word and eventually allow a vote to continue health care subsidies.

Illinois’ other U.S. senator, Tammy Duckworth, has a differing viewpoint.

“Trump and Republicans refuse to fight for American families, but I refuse to give up on them.” said Duckworth in a written statement. “I simply cannot, and I will not, vote to do nothing to help protect them from Trump’s vindictive and malicious efforts in exchange for a vague promise from the least trustworthy Republican party in our nation’s history. This is the time to keep fighting to bring costs down and protect the American people.”