UPDATED with Senate vote: The Senate on Monday passed legislation to end the government shutdown, the longest in history, as eight Democrats joined with Republicans to fund the government through January.
The bill, which passed 60-40, next will go to the House, which could take it up on Wednesday.
“I am very, very happy to say we are coming to the end,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
Democrats had refused to pass legislation to fund the government after September 30 unless the GOP extended Affordable Care Act subsidies. In a deal reached by a handful of moderate Democrats over the weekend, Senate Republican leaders promised to hold a vote on the subsidies in December, far short of what had been sought.
In the aftermath of the deal to break the impasse, Democrats have been hammered for caving without much in return. Some progressive groups have called for the resignation of Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, even though he voted against the funding bill on Monday.
At 41 days, the shutdown is the longest ever.
PREVIOUSLY, Sunday PM: The longest government shutdown in U.S. history appeared to be nearing its end, as a group of Democratic senators joined with Republicans to move forward with a funding bill to end the 39-day impasse.
Earlier in the day, a group of moderates — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Sen. Angus King (I-ME) — reached a deal to extend government funding through January, as well as on three other annual spending bills. Five other Senate Democrats joined them in ensuring passage of a procedural vote that paves the way for ending the shutdown.
The plan includes a promise of a vote on the health care subsidies by December.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who had voted against the government funding proposal, said in a statement before Sunday’s vote that the deal “guarantees a vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which Republicans weren’t willing to do. Lawmakers know their constituents expect them to vote for it, and if they don’t, they could very well be replaced at the ballot box by someone who will.”
Senators on the floor during a procedural vote on Sunday evening.
C-SPAN screenshot
It also includes a reinstatement of those government workers who were fired during the shutdown, which started on Oct. 1, as well as backpay for federal employees who have either been furloughed or who have gone without pay during the impasse, Kaine said.
Yet as news of the deal spread, other Democrats came out against any deal, which would fall short of extending Affordable Care Act subsidies through next year.
Kaine’s colleague, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), said that he could not support a deal “that still leaves millions of Americans wondering how they are going to pay for their health care or whether they will be able to afford to get sick.”
Republicans needed 60 votes to advance the funding legislation, meaning seven Democrats have to join all of their members. The GOP leadership needs five more votes to reach that threshold. Three Democrats — Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) have joined King in voting for previous efforts to reopen the government. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has voted against the funding bill.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) said that he would be voting against it.
“It does nothing to stop premiums from doubling for millions of Americans,” he posted on X. “Democrats are fighting to make health care more affordable and hold this corrupt and lawless administration accountable. We can’t end this fight now. I will be voting no.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that the promise of a vote on extending healthcare premiums will be “meaningless” because even if it passes in the Senate, it may not even get to the House floor given GOP opposition.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that he would vote no. But he already has been taking harsh criticism for what is being seen as a cave. “However this vote turns out, this fight will and must continue,” he said.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) wrote on X, “Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced. If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?”
California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X, “Pathetic.”
Given their sweep of off-year elections, Democrats were in a celebratory mood last week, and it seemed to embolden party lawmakers to continue to hold out.
But starting on Friday, the Trump administration announced the reduction in flights at major airports, citing staffing shortages among air traffic controllers. Trump also has help out on funding food and nutritional benefits, even though there are contingency funds available.
Speaking to reporters after she voted, Shaheen defended the agreement with the GOP. “This was the only deal on the table.”
King said: “The question was, does the shutdown further the goal of achieving some needed support for the extension of the tax credits? Our judgment was that it will not, it would not produce that result, and the evidence for that is almost seven weeks of fruitless attempts to make that happen.”
Trump has been urging Senate Republicans to abandon the filibuster as a way to move the funding legislation forward, denying Democrats any leverage, but lawmakers never took him up on it.
If the Senate ultimately passes the funding legislation, it would next have to go to the narrowly divided House, which has been out of session since mid-September. That means a reopening of the government may not happen until the middle of the week.
Given the tight GOP majority in the House, it’s not a sure thing that the funding bill will pass there, as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) may have to draw on Democratic support. Most Democrats in the House are expected to vote against it.
“The average monthly SNAP benefit is $177 a person,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wrote on X. “The average ACA benefit is up to $550 a person/mo. People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives. Working people want leaders whose word means something.”
