Seven Senate Democrats plus one independent voted on Sunday to support a Republican deal to reopen the US government.
The defections broke a weeks-long deadlock during which the Democratic Party resisted pressure to end the longest ever US shutdown.
During that period, the main reason the Democratic senators gave for refusing to back a funding deal was the expiry of healthcare subsidies - which they said would hit millions of households.
So who are the group who sided with the Republicans - and what have they said to justify crossing the floor?
The Virginia senator, known to many as Hillary Clinton's running mate in the 2016 presidential election, said he backed the Republican deal because it would protect workers and set the US on a path towards "fixing Republicans' healthcare mess".
