The Senate advanced a bipartisan bill on Sunday to reopen the government after 40 days of closure, taking a major step toward ending a record-breaking government shutdown in U.S. history. In a 60–40 vote, eight Democratic-leaning senators joined Republicans to end a filibuster and advance a temporary funding measure that will allow the government to run through January 30, 2026.
The package also includes a "minibus" bill to fully reinstate food stamp benefits. Democratic senators Dick Durbin (Illinois), Tim Kaine (Virginia), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), Jacky Rosen (Nevada), and John Fetterman (Pennsylvania) joined the GOP in supporting the measure. Independent Sen.
End of a Stalemate
Angus King of Maine, who aligns with Democrats, also voted in favor. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the lone "no" vote from his party. Although this vote represents a major breakthrough in the prolonged budget standoff, it may still take several more days before the government officially reopens.
Some frustrated Democrats, along with Paul — who's upset about the bill's ban on hemp sales — could still create procedural delays that slow down final approval of the deal. The House of Representatives also needs to pass the package before it becomes law.
While these remaining steps might hold things up briefly, they aren't expected to stop the measure altogether.
The Senate's progress, however, sparked backlash from many Democrats and progressive activists, who complained that the deal failed to secure firm promises on their healthcare priorities.
Since September, Senate Democrats had been using the filibuster to block a House-approved stopgap bill, hoping to use the shutdown as leverage to win an extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies — which expire at the end of next month — and to roll back Republican-led Medicaid changes.
But none of those healthcare demands made it into the bipartisan package that advanced in the Senate on Sunday.
Major Breakthrough
Instead of meeting Democrats' healthcare demands directly, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) offered them a vote next month on extending the enhanced Obamacare tax credits — a proposal he first floated more than three weeks ago.
However, Thune made it clear he's not promising the measure will pass the Senate, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hasn't committed to even bringing it up for a vote in the House.
As part of the bipartisan deal, Republicans did agree to rehire all federal workers laid off by the Trump administration during the shutdown and to provide back pay to government employees affected by the funding lapse.
Still, Democrats across much of the party criticized the deal, voicing frustration that it fell short of their key priorities even as it moved the country closer to reopening the government.
"It now appears that Senate Republicans will send the House of Representatives a spending bill that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) fumed, declining to call out the Senate Dems who caved.
"We will fight the GOP bill in the House of Representatives, where Mike Johnson will be compelled to end the seven-week Republican taxpayer-funded vacation."
"If this is the so-called 'deal,' then I will be a no," Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) declared Sunday in response to rumors of the deal. "That's not a deal. It's an unconditional surrender that abandons the 24 million Americans whose health care premiums are about to double."
The bipartisan agreement centers on two key parts: a short-term spending bill to keep the government open until January 30, 2026, and a "minibus" package to fund programs for the military, veterans, and the Department of Agriculture.
One of the most important pieces of the deal is the full restoration of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps feed about 42 million low-income Americans. The program ran out of money on November 1, and the Trump administration had been using emergency funds to keep it going for a few extra weeks.
Each year, Congress must approve funding for the federal government before the new fiscal year begins on October 1. Normally, this happens through 12 separate appropriations bills. However, when lawmakers can't agree in time, they often pass temporary "continuing resolutions" to keep government operations running while they negotiate the full budget.
The "minibus" portion of Sunday's deal covers three of those 12 appropriations bills. The temporary funding extension through January 30 is meant to give lawmakers more time to finalize the remaining ones and fully fund the government.
