"If this bill passes, certain groups will see their premiums triple," Bernie Sanders has said

Sen. Bernie Sanders said that he is “very disappointed” that eight Democrats voted to move forward with a bill to reopen the government, arguing that the party received almost nothing in return aside from what he called a “meaningless” vote on health insurance subsidies.

When CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns asked whether Sunday’s procedural vote amounted to a “capitulation,” Sanders replied, “I’ll try to think of a word, but that’s not a bad one.”

The legislation — which still must be formally approved by both the Senate and the House — would reopen the government and fund operations through late January, ending the longest government shutdown in modern history. It would also reverse shutdown-related layoffs and advance several smaller funding bills that would keep parts of the government operating through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2026.

In return, Republicans agreed to hold a vote next month on renewing enhanced health insurance tax credits enacted during the Biden administration that are set to expire this year. Without renewal, many people who purchase coverage through Affordable Care Act exchanges could see steep premium increases.

Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, called the arrangement a “disaster” because there is no guarantee the subsidies will actually be extended. He dismissed the promised vote as meaningless.

“It doesn’t matter — even if it received 100 votes in the Senate, it won’t go anywhere in the House, and the president certainly won’t sign it,” Sanders told CBS News. “Maybe people feel good about having a vote, but it accomplishes nothing.”

Democrats who supported the agreement argue that Republicans refused to negotiate further and that the shutdown had already inflicted significant damage, including delayed SNAP benefits, frozen paychecks for most federal workers, and widespread airport disruptions caused by air-traffic controller shortages.