U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., defended joining seven other Democratic senators to vote with Republicans on a bipartisan deal to reopen the government after a 41-day shutdown — the longest in U.S. history.

“I sure don't mind being criticized for a judgment call," Kaine said. "I stood up yesterday in the caucus, after I got the commitment that I needed on the protection of 2 million federal employees, and I said this commitment is enough to get me to 'yes,'" Kaine said.

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Kaine said the holdout wasn't getting Democrats what they wanted.

"The one thing I could've guaranteed, though, is that SNAP beneficiaries would've suffered more, federal workers would've missed more paychecks, and air traffic control would be more chaotic,

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