The record-long government shutdown, now in its 41st day, finally has an end in sight after a group of Senate Democrats broke ranks to back a bipartisan funding deal finalized during a rare weekend Senate session.
- The Senate voted 60–40 on Sunday night to break the filibuster on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), which will serve as the vehicle for the broader deal.
Eight members of the Democratic caucus joined almost all Republicans in favor, pushing the tally over the 60-vote threshold the chamber had failed to reach on 14 prior attempts.
- Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Dick Durbin (IL), John Fetterman (PA), Maggie Hassan (NH), Tim Kaine (VA), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (NH) and Jacky Rosen (NV) voted in favor while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voted against.
The agreement tees up a three-bill appropriations "minibus" that would fund, for the full fiscal year, the Agriculture Department and FDA, the Veterans Affairs Department and military construction projects, and the legislative branch.
- All other agencies would be funded at current levels under a CR through Jan. 30, giving appropriators more time to finish work on the remaining full-year spending bills.
- The package also includes language to provide back pay for furloughed employees and reverse the layoffs carried out by the Trump administration during the funding lapse.
As part of the deal, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has promised to hold a vote in December on extending the Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year — the centerpiece of Democrats' shutdown demands.
- However, there's no guarantee that the subsidies extension bill will pass — or that it would even be considered in the House or signed into law by President Trump — which is why most Democrats opposed the deal.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) voted against advancing the measure but is now facing heat from his party's base as well as some House Democrats for not keeping his caucus united.
- "I must vote no. This health care crisis is so severe, so urgent, so devastating for families back home that I cannot in good faith support this CR that fails to address the health care crisis," he said ahead of the procedural vote Sunday night.
- "But let me be clear: however this vote turns out, this fight will and must continue. Democrats must fight because millions of families will lose health care coverage."
On Monday, Sen. Schumer said despite not getting what Democrats had wanted, the shutdown fight spotlighted the looming health care premium increases and made clear where each party stands on the issue.
- "Republicans now own this health care crisis. They knew it was coming. We wanted to fix it. Republicans said no, and it's on them," he said on the floor.
The procedural vote was the first step toward ending the shutdown. More Senate votes will be required to amend the House-passed text and approve the final bill.
- The House will then have to vote to accept the changes before the bill can go to President Trump's desk.
It's unclear how fast the Senate will be able to process the legislation, given that any single senator can throw up roadblocks, dragging the process out despite the outcome now being all but certain.
- If all senators cooperate, the chamber could clear the bill as early as tonight.
Sen. Thune encouraged his colleagues not to raise any objections, arguing it would only prolong the pain of the shutdown.
- "We will be voting on the final package in the very near future — and I'm hoping that will be hours and not days," he said Monday morning.
- "The American people have suffered for long enough. Let's not pointlessly drag this bill out. Let's get it done, get it over to the House, so that we can get this government open."
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) urged House members to begin returning to the Capitol — after a more than 50-day recess — to process the bill once the Senate gives final approval.
- "At the very moment that they do that final vote, I will call all House members to return to Washington as quickly as possible," he said.
- "We'll give a 36-hour formal and official notice so that we can vote as soon as possible to pass the amended CR bill and get it to the president's desk."
Watch Sunday's Senate vote as well as the remarks from Sen. Schumer, Sen. Thune and Speaker Johnson.
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