As shutdown deal reaches U.S. House, KC Rep. Emanuel Cleaver says he’ll vote no
Kansas City’s longtime congressman on Monday blasted a deal that would reopen the federal government as “heartless” while the U.S. House prepares to vote on the legislation this week.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a statement that he would vote against the Republican-backed spending bill. He emphasized Republicans’ decision to exclude from the legislation an extension of health care tax credits pushed by Democrats.
“Unfortunately, the legislation proposed in the Senate will ensure that tens of thousands of my constituents see their health care premiums skyrocket, some by more than double what they are today,” Cleaver’s statement said in part. “That is a heartless way to govern.”
Cleaver’s statement came just hours before several Democratic senators broke ranks and allowed the U.S. Senate to pass the spending deal that would end the government shutdown. The legislation now heads to the House, where lawmakers could vote as early as Wednesday.
The shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, has upended government services across the country and in Kansas City, including food assistance, air travel woes and federal worker pay. Amid the fallout, legislators of both parties have laid the blame at each other.
The legislation passed by the Senate does not include an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits, which Democrats had fought for, as millions of Americans are at risk of losing health insurance. Republicans have vowed to vote on extending those credits next month.
Democrats have faced some blowback from voters and progressives for supporting legislation that did not include the health care credits. Critics have framed the decision as Democrats caving to pressure on their primary demand, even after winning several key races last Tuesday.
Publicly available polling, including from YouGov, has suggested that blame for the shutdown has largely been split along party lines.
Cleaver pointed to the exclusion of the tax credits on Monday, saying that Republicans chose to slash taxes for the wealthy and cut government services instead of working with Democrats.
Meanwhile, Cleaver’s Democratic colleague in Kansas, Rep. Sharice Davids, has not said how she will vote on the legislation. A spokesperson for her office did not respond to two requests for comment.
Republicans hold a slim majority in the U.S. House and may require all Republican lawmakers to support the deal to ensure its passage. There are nine Republican members across Kansas and Missouri — three in Kansas and six in Missouri.
A spokesperson for Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican who represents portions of the Kansas City area, said Alford would vote in favor of the plan. Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican representing a northern part of the metro, also suggested support in on a post on social media.
“Our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end,” Alford said in a statement that blamed the shutdown on Democrats.
As the House prepares to vote on the legislation, lawmakers in both states have taken to social media to criticize the shutdown.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, called it “the longest and stupidest government shutdown in history,” while Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, said Congress needed to work quickly to “prevent another useless shutdown.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2025 at 12:13 PM.
