Posted on Thursday, November 13, 2025
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by AMAC Action
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The federal government officially reopened this week following the longest-ever government shutdown. AMAC members played a critical role in the final pressure campaign to convince enough Senate Democrats to provide the votes to reopen, delivering thousands of messages in key states within a matter of hours.
The government shut down at midnight on October 1 after Senate Democrats refused to pass a stopgap funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR). Because of the Senate’s filibuster rule, most legislation, including funding bills, requires at least 60 votes to pass. Democrats were demanding that Republicans pass a permanent extension of enormous Obamacare subsidies – projected to cost at least $400 billion over the next decade alone – as their price for keeping the government open.
On Monday, after 41 days, enough Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans, setting up a final vote in the House late Wednesday. President Donald Trump quickly signed the bill, ending the shutdown that had led to missed paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, nightmare flight delays for travelers, and missed benefits for low-income families.
AMAC members played a critical role in ending the stalemate, putting constant pressure on Democrats to provide the votes to reopen from the moment the shutdown began and initiating an 11th-hour push to get the CR across the finish line. In the final days before the decisive vote, AMAC Action launched a targeted grassroots campaign aimed at Senators in key states, including Nevada, New Hampshire, Virginia, Arizona, Vermont, and Georgia. Within hours of the campaign’s launch, thousands of messages poured into Senate offices from AMAC members demanding action to end the shutdown.
The strategy paid off. Of the eight Democrats who ultimately broke with party leadership to side with Republicans, five represented states directly targeted by AMAC members – Catherine Cortez Masto and Jackie Rosen of Nevada, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Tim Kaine of Virginia. The timing and concentration of member outreach in these states underscored the decisive influence of engaged citizens determined to make their voices heard.
More than 3,000 total messages were sent to the Senate during this campaign. Members responded with remarkable speed and unity, understanding that the stakes were not partisan politics but the basic functioning of government and the well-being of millions of Americans. From the first day of the shutdown, AMAC members showed unrelenting persistence, reminding lawmakers that gridlock in Washington carries real consequences for ordinary citizens.
The campaign’s reach extended well beyond email and phone calls. Across social media, AMAC members recorded heartfelt video messages urging Democrats to stop the political games and reopen the government. These videos quickly gained traction and were shared tens of thousands of times. The sincerity and urgency of these personal appeals captured the attention of both national leaders and everyday Americans, amplifying the pressure on those holding up the process.
Even members who did not record videos made their voices heard by submitting written comments that AMAC Action delivered directly to contacts in Washington. Every message added to the mounting chorus demanding leadership and accountability. Taken together, these efforts demonstrated the unique strength of AMAC’s grassroots network – a community of patriotic Americans willing to act swiftly and speak up when their country needs them most.
AMAC Action Senior Vice President Andy Mangione praised the effort, saying, “This campaign stands among the most consequential efforts ever undertaken by AMAC Action. With minimal notice, AMAC members swiftly mobilized and, leveraging the power of the constituency, reached out to their U.S. Senators and demanded that they vote to end the shutdown, and their voices were heard. Once again, the patriotism and collective influence of AMAC members made a meaningful difference, playing a significant role in bringing this historic shutdown to a close.”
The reopening of the federal government marks a victory not only for lawmakers who reached across the aisle, but also for the engaged citizens who held them accountable. AMAC members once again proved that grassroots activism – organized, focused, and grounded in principle – can move mountains in Washington. At a moment when partisanship too often paralyzes progress, the collective action of AMAC’s membership showed that ordinary Americans, united around common sense and a shared love of country, still hold the ultimate power to shape the nation’s future.
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