In a rare Sunday night session, the U.S. Senate took to the chamber floor and drafted a funding bill that will likely bring an end to the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.
Two days later, the Senate approved the package, sending the funding bill to its 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 is 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 through 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 have 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, 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 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 subsidies, 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 Republicans to need nearly every member of their team to back it.
“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 for the Senate-endorsed plan.
The deal between 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 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 an 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.
