Senate Clears Procedural Vote on Government Funding, Paving the Way for Likely End of Government Shutdown Within Days

The Senate has advanced a bill to re-open the federal government, likely meaning that the longest shutdown in American history will be over within days. A small band of Senate Democrats who previously voted to block the bill changed their votes late Sunday night after winning a promise from Republican leadership that they will get a vote on health care reforms before the end of the year.On Sunday, the Senate Appropriations Committee began releasing the texts of three of the 12 bills needed to keep the government open. Legislation for funding agriculture programs, the legislative branch, and military construction and veterans affairs were all released by the GOP majority. Senate Democrats signed off on those bills. The legislation would fully fund the three corresponding areas of government for the rest of the fiscal year, or through the end of September 2026. Just hours later, eight Senate Democrats — most of whom are either retiring or likely in their final term in office — voted with Republicans to fund the rest of the government through January 30, 2026. Republicans in the Senate promised that Democrats would bring forward a bill to extend Biden-era Affordable Care Act subsidies before the end of the year in exchange for Democrats’ votes. “This was the only deal on the table. It was our best chance to reopen the government and immediately begin negotiations to extend the [health care] tax credits,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire — the lead negotiator for Democrats — said at a press conference after the vote. Ms. Shaheen was joined in the vote by seven other Democrats, including fellow New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan; Nevada Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen; Maine Senator Angus King; Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman; Virginia Senator Tim Kaine; and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin. The minority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer, voted no after speaking with his colleagues during a contentious meeting on Sunday evening. Shortly after the news of a potential deal was reported on Sunday afternoon, some prominent Democrats in Congress began to signal their opposition. Congressman Ritchie Torres called the bargain “unconditional surrender” for his party. “If this is the so-called ‘deal,’ then I will be a no,” Mr. Torres wrote on X on Sunday. “That’s not a deal. It’s an unconditional surrender that abandons the 24 million Americans whose health care premiums are about to double.”“Any ‘deal’ that ends with Dems just getting a pinky promise in return is a mistake,” the vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Pennsylvania state representative Malcolm Kenyatta wrote on X. “The American people are suffering because Republicans refuse to stop healthcare costs from skyrocketing. An agreement that doesn’t fix that reality falls massively short.”Just minutes later, Mr. Kenyatta posted a GIF on X from the Peanuts cartoons of Lucy swiping a football away from Charlie Brown.The House minority leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, announced in a statement on Sunday evening that he and his Democratic colleagues in the House will not back this bill once it comes to their chamber. “For seven weeks, Democrats in the House and Senate have waged a valiant fight on behalf of the American people. It now appears that Senate Republicans will send the House of Representatives a spending bill that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Mr. Jeffries said. “We will not support spending legislation advanced by Senate Republicans that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. We will fight the GOP bill in the House of Representatives.”House lawmakers are expected to return to Washington within the next few days, though air travel could complicate that schedule, given the ongoing shutdown. As of Sunday night, the House is not currently scheduled to return for a Monday session._______________The Senate minority is led by Senator Chuck Schumer. An earlier version misstated his position.

Senate Clears Procedural Vote on Government Funding, Paving the Way for Likely End of Government Shutdown Within Days

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