The Senate ended its stalemate and approved a bipartisan funding package late Monday night, marking the end of the 41st day of the government shutdown and sending the legislation to the House of Representatives.
A group of eight Senate Democratic caucus members joined Republicans to combine an updated continuing resolution (CR) with three spending bills into a minibus package. Their votes cleared procedural hurdles and handed the onus of reopening the govt to the House, Reuters reported.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had pressed since the shutdown began for lawmakers to vote on a short-term funding measure, coupled with a promise to address expiring Obamacare subsidies. He reiterated that pledge, saying the subsidy legislation would receive a vote “No later than the second week of December.”
The Senate advanced the measure despite concerns that objections and other procedural manoeuvres might derail the process. The final vote came deep into Monday night, after the package passed its first procedural test earlier in the day.
“I think everybody’s pretty united [behind] this bill,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said. “We want to reopen the government.”
Democrats backs GOP for reopening government
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus had insisted throughout the shutdown that they would only vote to reopen the government if they secured an ironclad deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies. That deal did not materialise. Instead, eight Senate Democrats accepted Thune’s guarantee to hold a future vote on the subsidies.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., one of the eight who crossed the aisle, said: “This was the only deal on the table. It was our best chance to reopen the government and immediately begin negotiations to extend the [Obamacare] tax credits that tens of millions of Americans rely on to keep costs down.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., another of the eight, said that Republicans were not going to budge on healthcare until after the govt reopened, but that promises of protections for federal employees during future shutdowns and back pay for those furloughed persuaded him to support the package.
Schumer again on hot seat
The deal has provoked anger among many Democrats who note there is no guarantee that the Republican-controlled Senate or House would agree to extend the health insurance subsidies. And they blamed Schumer for this.
While criticism from the left was scathing, only the 45 Democratic senators and two independents who caucus with them could remove Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from his leadership role or defeat him in a leadership election that would be held following the November 2026 elections. Schumer was not up for re-election to another six-year Senate term until 2028.
Progressives took a much harsher tone. The advocacy group Our Revolution urged Schumer to resign as minority leader, as did Representative Ro Khanna of California, who said in a statement, "Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced."
California Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, on social media called the compromise "Pathetic. This isn't a deal. It's surrender."
What's next?
It next heads to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law.
Trump has called the deal to reopen the government "very good."
Johnson later told House Republicans on a lawmakers-only call that he anticipated a vote in their chamber by midweek. “We’re going to plan on voting, on being here, at least by Wednesday,” he said. He added that while the schedule could shift later in the week, “right now we think we’re on track for a vote on Wednesday. So we need you here.”
Johnson also signalled that the House would not move to fast-track the package via suspension of the rules, which would raise the passage threshold to two-thirds of the chamber. He said the House Rules Committee should be ready to move by Tuesday at the earliest.
A group of eight Senate Democratic caucus members joined Republicans to combine an updated continuing resolution (CR) with three spending bills into a minibus package. Their votes cleared procedural hurdles and handed the onus of reopening the govt to the House, Reuters reported.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had pressed since the shutdown began for lawmakers to vote on a short-term funding measure, coupled with a promise to address expiring Obamacare subsidies. He reiterated that pledge, saying the subsidy legislation would receive a vote “No later than the second week of December.”
The Senate advanced the measure despite concerns that objections and other procedural manoeuvres might derail the process. The final vote came deep into Monday night, after the package passed its first procedural test earlier in the day.
“I think everybody’s pretty united [behind] this bill,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said. “We want to reopen the government.”
Democrats backs GOP for reopening government
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus had insisted throughout the shutdown that they would only vote to reopen the government if they secured an ironclad deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies. That deal did not materialise. Instead, eight Senate Democrats accepted Thune’s guarantee to hold a future vote on the subsidies.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., one of the eight who crossed the aisle, said: “This was the only deal on the table. It was our best chance to reopen the government and immediately begin negotiations to extend the [Obamacare] tax credits that tens of millions of Americans rely on to keep costs down.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., another of the eight, said that Republicans were not going to budge on healthcare until after the govt reopened, but that promises of protections for federal employees during future shutdowns and back pay for those furloughed persuaded him to support the package.
Schumer again on hot seat
The deal has provoked anger among many Democrats who note there is no guarantee that the Republican-controlled Senate or House would agree to extend the health insurance subsidies. And they blamed Schumer for this.
While criticism from the left was scathing, only the 45 Democratic senators and two independents who caucus with them could remove Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from his leadership role or defeat him in a leadership election that would be held following the November 2026 elections. Schumer was not up for re-election to another six-year Senate term until 2028.
Progressives took a much harsher tone. The advocacy group Our Revolution urged Schumer to resign as minority leader, as did Representative Ro Khanna of California, who said in a statement, "Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced."
California Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, on social media called the compromise "Pathetic. This isn't a deal. It's surrender."
What's next?
It next heads to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law.
Trump has called the deal to reopen the government "very good."
Johnson later told House Republicans on a lawmakers-only call that he anticipated a vote in their chamber by midweek. “We’re going to plan on voting, on being here, at least by Wednesday,” he said. He added that while the schedule could shift later in the week, “right now we think we’re on track for a vote on Wednesday. So we need you here.”
Johnson also signalled that the House would not move to fast-track the package via suspension of the rules, which would raise the passage threshold to two-thirds of the chamber. He said the House Rules Committee should be ready to move by Tuesday at the earliest.
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