The United States Senate voted 60-40 late on Monday night to reopen the federal government, breaking a 41-day shutdown that is the longest in American history.
The final vote came after a series of procedural votes that began shortly before 6 p.m. in Washington. About four hours later, seven Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats broke ranks and voted with Republicans to ratify a deal negotiated over the weekend.
The standoff, which began on 1 October, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid, delayed food assistance for millions of families and disrupted air travel across the country. It surpassed the previous record of 35 days set during the 2018-19 shutdown.
The package funds most of the government through 30 January and includes three full-year spending bills covering agriculture, military construction and veterans’ affairs, and the legislative branch through the end of the fiscal year. It also reverses layoffs of federal workers made during the shutdown and guarantees back pay for those who were furloughed.
What the deal does not do is extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies at the centre of the dispute. The enhanced tax credits, which help more than 20 million Americans pay for health insurance, are due to expire at the end of December, and Democrats had made their extension the price of reopening the government.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has promised a vote on extending the subsidies no later than the second week of December, although the measure faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Senate and is even less likely to pass in the House.
The defection of the eight Democratic caucus members drew a fierce response from the party’s left. Senator Bernie Sanders said those who voted with the Republicans had made a “horrific mistake”, while Senator Chris Murphy called the continuing resolution a mistake that “will make things worse, not better”.
Senator Angus King of Maine, one of the eight, defended the decision, saying a 30% or 40% chance of success on the tax credits was better than the 0% assured if the shutdown continued and no vote was ever held.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, which has been out of session since 19 September. Speaker Mike Johnson has told lawmakers to return to Washington, with the first vote expected on Wednesday afternoon — the House’s first session in 54 days. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said his party will not support legislation that fails to extend the health care tax credits.
President Donald Trump signalled his support for the bill earlier on Monday, telling reporters: “We’re going to be opening up our country very quickly.” If the House passes it as expected, he is likely to sign it the same night, and federal agencies could begin reopening within hours.
Sources: The Well News (https://www.thewellnews.com/political-news/senate-advances-bill-to-end-shutdown-house-vote-slated-for-wednesday/) and Associated Press reporting on the Senate vote (https://trends.glance.com/story/articles/news/US/en/ap-news/s-0c3e7f4e9f-6f54f1df-8c21-5626-af4c-273f19b636be).
