In a rare Sunday night session, the U.S. Senate took to the chamber floor and drafted a
funding bill that will likely bring to end the longest Federal government shutdown in U.S.
history. Two days later, the Senate approved the package, sending the funding bill to their
colleagues in the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a thin majority, for
final approval before heading to the President.
With enough Democratic votes secured in the Senate, the full bill includes a larger funding
package negotiated between the two parties and a stopgap measure through January 30.
Among the features included are a broader legislative package including a three-year
appropriation bill that deals with military construction and veterans affairs, the legislative
branch and the Department of Agriculture.
Though the package would fund the federal government to January 30, some key agencies
will remain funded through Fiscal Year 2026-meaning if another shutdown happened in the
coming months, the federal food assistance SNAP program would remain funded for the
year.
The package does not include a guarantee from Republicans to extend the expiring
Affordable Care Act subsidies that has been the Democrats’ rallying cry, and their unifying
focus in the 40-plus day shutdown. Ultimately, eight Senate Democrats crossed ranks to
support the package, citing the lack of funding for TSA and air traffic control workers,
potential huge losses in air travel, loss of SNAP benefits to millions of Americans, and
President Trump’s continued recalcitrance to consider extending the health care subsidies
and the administration’s efforts to freeze SNAP benefits via the Federal court system, as
reasons for their support.
While clearing the Senate hurdle, the package still needs to get through a closely divided
House before reaching the President’s desk. In the House, it is unclear how many
Democrats will support the package, and the Republicans hold such a slim majority that it
appears likely Speaker Mike Johnson will need some help from the White House to get the
bill passed.
Democratic leaders remain opposed to the package as it neglects to extend the Affordable
Care Act subsidizes, thus likely causing insurance premiums for millions of Americans to
increase significantly in the New Year. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has vowed to
fight the package because it does not go as far as he wanted on the Democrats’ health care
demands. Jeffries and his team hope to keep as many Democrats as possible from
supporting the plan, thus forcing the Republicans to need nearly every member of their
team to back the plan.
“We want to reopen the government. We’ll continue to stand by our hardworking federal
employees and civil servants,” said Jeffries. “But we have a responsibility to make sure that
we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits so that tens of millions of Americans don’t
experience dramatically increased health care costs that’s going to prevent them from
being able to see a doctor when they need one,”
Word from the White House is that the President is anxious to sign the bill and reopen the
country, expressing support of the Senate endorsed plan.
The deal between the Republicans and centrist Democrats in the Senate hinged on the
Senate holding a future vote on the subsidies. It is unclear whether the two parties can find
enough common ground before a promised December vote on the matter.
Some Republicans have said they are willing to extend some Covid-19 era as tax credits,
but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins said on Monday that she is
willing to extend the tax credit with changes, such as establishing new income caps. Some
Democrats are receptive to the idea.
The deal also includes an agreement to reverse federal firings during the shutdown, and
assurance that all federal workers will get paid what they were owed during the shutdown.
The House could vote on the bill as early as Wednesday evening.
