Senate Advances Deal to End Longest Government Shutdown
The Senate voted 60-40 to move forward with legislation aimed at ending the shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. The chamber adjourned until Monday and has not yet scheduled a final vote. The House must also approve the bill before it can go to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Under the agreement, Congress would fully fund the departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and the legislative branch for the rest of the year, while funding other federal agencies only through January 30. The plan would restore pay for furloughed federal workers, resume delayed payments to states and localities, and bring back agency employees who were laid off.
Ending the standoff could still take several days. Any senator can force procedural delays, and Speaker Mike Johnson has said House members will be given 36 hours’ notice to return.
“It looks like we’re getting closer to the shutdown ending,” Trump said Sunday evening.
Financial markets reacted positively, with futures for major stock indexes rising and the yen weakening.
Some Democrats supported the deal because it temporarily prevents additional federal layoffs. Senator Tim Kaine noted that his home state of Virginia has many affected federal workers.
However, Democratic leaders have criticized the agreement for omitting an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. Republican negotiators instead offered a promise to hold a vote on those tax credits by mid-December. “That’s a big deal,” said Senator Angus King, though he acknowledged the outcome is uncertain.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said his caucus will oppose the current version, while conservative Republicans want funding extended through next September.
Given travel logistics and potential Senate delays, the government is unlikely to fully reopen until later in the week.
