Senate Approves Bill to Reopen Government After Record 41-Day Shutdown; House Vote Expected Midweek

WASHINGTON – The Senate on Monday passed legislation to reopen the federal government, moving the longest shutdown in U.S. history toward an end with a 60-40 vote after a small group of Democrats backed a deal with Republicans. The House, which has been on recess since mid-September, is set to return to Washington to vote on the measure, with the earliest vote expected Wednesday afternoon. President Donald Trump signaled support for the bill, saying, “we’re going to be opening up our country very quickly.”

What the Senate Passed

The legislation breaks a six-week stalemate sparked by Democratic demands to negotiate on health care tax credits set to expire Jan. 1. Republicans declined, but pressure mounted as federal food aid was delayed, airport delays worsened and hundreds of thousands of federal workers went unpaid. Ultimately, five moderate Democrats switched their votes to deliver the required margin.

After weeks of negotiations, three former governors in the Senate – New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan and Maine Independent Angus King – agreed to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend funding for the rest of the government until late January. In exchange, Republicans promised a Senate vote by mid-December on extending the health care subsidies – without guaranteeing an outcome.

Sen. Shaheen said Monday that “this was the option on the table” after Republicans refused to budge. She added, “We had reached a point where I think a number of us believed that the shutdown had been very effective in raising the concern about health care,” and the promise for a future vote “gives us an opportunity to continue to address that going forward.”

The bill also includes a reversal of mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, protects workers from further layoffs through January, and guarantees back pay once the shutdown ends.

Key Votes and Breakthroughs

• Final Senate vote: 60-40 to advance the legislation.
• Moderate Democrats joining the effort: Jeanne Shaheen, Angus King, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Jacky Rosen voted yes at various stages, with five switching votes to end the stalemate.
• A separate test vote on subsidies: the Senate voted 47-53 along party lines not to extend the subsidies for a year, a move allowed to speed final passage to the House.

House Logistics and Leadership Response

House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to return to Washington “right now” amid shutdown-related travel delays. An official notice after the Senate vote said the earliest House vote would be Wednesday afternoon. Johnson said, “It appears our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end,” even as he has kept the House out of session since mid-September, when the chamber passed a bill to continue government funding.

Democratic Rift Over Health Care Concessions

While moderates helped broker the deal, many Democrats denounced the move absent immediate action on Affordable Care Act subsidies. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support the agreement after a two-hour caucus meeting on Sunday. “We will not give up the fight,” Schumer said, adding that Democrats have now “sounded the alarm” on health care.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders called giving up the fight a “horrific mistake.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., agreed, saying voters who overwhelmingly supported Democrats in last week’s elections were urging them to “hold firm.”

House progressives also rebuked the Senate agreement. Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that does not reduce health care costs is a “betrayal” of millions counting on Democrats to fight.

Others backed Schumer’s strategy. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who had criticized Schumer in March after his earlier vote to keep the government open, praised his leadership on Monday: “The American people know we are on the right side of this fight,” he said, pointing to Tuesday’s election results.

What’s Next on Health Care Subsidies

Whether the parties can find common ground on ACA subsidies ahead of the promised December Senate vote remains unclear. Speaker Johnson said House Republicans are open to voting on reforms to what he called the “unaffordable care act” but did not commit to bringing a subsidy extension to the floor.

Some Republicans indicate openness to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits to avert premium spikes, while seeking new limits on eligibility or different funding mechanisms. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said Monday she supports extending the credits with changes such as income caps. “We do need to act by the end of the year, and that is exactly what the majority leader has promised,” Collins said. Other Republicans, including Trump, have renewed calls to overhaul or scrap the law entirely.

Timeline and Next Steps

• The shutdown stands at 41 days, with funding poised to resume once the House passes the Senate bill and it reaches the president’s desk.
• The House plans to vote as early as Wednesday afternoon.
• A December Senate vote on health care subsidies is expected, though passage is uncertain.

Conclusion

The Senate’s bipartisan action puts an end to the immediate funding crisis, restores protections and back pay for federal workers, and sets up a high-stakes December debate over health care subsidies. The House must now act, with leadership signaling a midweek vote as both parties prepare for the next showdown over the future of the Affordable Care Act and federal spending priorities.