UPDATE 7:50: p.m. PT:
The Senate voted Sunday night to reopen the U.S. government after a crippling 40-day shutdown, the longest in American history. The bipartisan continuing resolution bill, which included at least eight Democratic Senators’ support in a late-night vote on Capitol Hill, will move back the House – which has already approved a similar bill – for proofing.
The House is not currently in session, meaning it could take several days for the resolution to reach President Trump’s desk for signing.
The bill would fund the entire government until Jan 30, parts of the government for one full year, and restore SNAP benefits funding until the end of September 2026. Around 4,000 federal workers who were laid off would be reinstated with back pay, and no more firings allowed until after Jan. 30.
Republicans promise to vote on subsidies for the Obamacare healthcare exchange, but did not promise to pass it – a provision for which Democrats had strongly advocated. The deal was brokered Sunday night between three former governors (Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Angus King and Maggie Hassan), Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the White House.
With 60 votes, the chamber passed the filibuster breaker – considered the final hurdle to end the Senate stalemate – at about 10 minutes to midnight. It would have happened about two hours sooner, but officers were awaiting the arrival of Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who was arriving in Washington on a flight from an Austin campaign event.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was among many Democrats who stood steadfast in their opposition to the bill as Sunday dragged on, and exhorted his colleagues to vote against it in an impassioned five minutes at the dais before the roll was called.
“Everybody knows our current healthcare system is broken,” Sanders said. “And yet tonight, what this Senate is about to do is to make a horrific situation even worse … if this vote succeeds, over 20 million Americans are going to see at least a doubling in their premiums for the Affordable Care Act.”
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer – another avowed no vote – said Democrats have offered several healthcare reform compromises, with one coming as recently as Friday. He called the consequences of the looming vote a “Republican-made healthcare crisis.”
“Worse than anything Americans have seen in decades … Americans are going to suffer immensely,” Schumer said. “Democrats have wanted to lower costs, but Republicans have stopped us every step of the way.”
No matter how long it takes the funding agreement to reach Trump’s desk, the shutdown sets a new high watermark. The previous longest shutdown in U.S. history came during Trump’s first term in 2018 and 2019, which lasted 35 days; before that, a 21-day shutdown crippled the federal government in 1995 and 1996.
PREVIOUSLY:
A deal to end the government shutdown, the longest in American history, is “within reach” Axios and CNN reported Sunday, citing sources in both the Democrat and Republican parties.
According to the reports, at least 10 Senate Democrats will “support a procedural motion to advance a package of spending bills and a short term funding measure through the end of January.” This is said to include a December vote about whether to extend health care tax credits for one year.
The deal is also said to include language that will undo federal layoffs that President Trump implemented during the shutdown. The Senate is “on track” to vote on the deal as soon as Sunday.
Politico reported that “Senators are cautiously optimistic that they have at least the eight Democrats needed to advance the House-passed funding stopgap” — as reported by four people who were “granted anonymity to disclose private discussions.”
The outlet also noted Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters there is a “plan” to bring the debate back to vote for a 15th time Sunday.
ABC also reported that “multiple sources” told the network’s Jonathan Karl the bill will “extend funding to Jan. 31 as well as fund SNAP and Veterans Affairs for the remainder of the fiscal year.”
Democrats and Republicans have been locked in a standoff since October 1. Approximately 1.4 million federal employees are working without pay or on unpaid leave, and the shutdown is causing air travel problems and raising concerns that SNAP benefits will not be distributed in November.
Though Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they lack the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to pass their version of the bill. Democrats have refused to agree to the bill unless it extends credits that make health insurance more affordable. The House cleared the bill, but things have stalled completely in the Senate.
Also on Sunday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker he is hopeful the shutdown will end by Thanksgiving.
He explained, “And by the way, we also know that House Republicans have literally canceled votes for the last six weeks. They’ve been on vacation, and they have no plans to return next week. We’ll be in Washington as House Democrats ready, willing and able to reopen the government to make life better for the American people, and to address the health care crisis that has been devastating the country.”
