The US Senate late on Monday passed legislation to reopen the government and end the longest-running shutdown on record.
Lawmakers approved the bill 60-40 after agreeing late Sunday to allow the measure to proceed to a vote and to expedite its approval process. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to return to Washington “right now” amid shutdown-related travel delays, saying, “It appears our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end.”
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where a vote is expected on Wednesday before it heads to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed. The stopgap funding bill would fund the government through January 30.
The US government has been shut down since October 1 after Democrats refused to support a Republican-drafted spending bill they said would cut healthcare support for millions. The shutdown has kept federal workers home and disrupted air travel and food aid.
What led to this?
On Sunday night the Senate advanced a procedural measure aimed at ending the record-setting shutdown. The vote to advance the funding bill included support from some Democrats. Republicans hold a Senate majority with 53 seats. Seven Democrats and one independent voted to advance the package, drawing criticism from party members for siding with Republicans.
What does the bill call for?
The bill would restore funding for the SNAP food stamp program, which helps about 42 million people pay for groceries. Thousands of federal workers who were fired or furloughed during the shutdown would be rehired. On the issue of health care, Republicans agreed to a December vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which are due to expire at year’s end. Democrats have insisted that any vote to reopen the government should be tied to extending those ACA subsidies, which lower-income Americans rely on to pay for private insurance.
“I have long said that to earn my vote, we need to be on a path toward fixing Republicans’ health care mess and to protect the federal workforce,” Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said.
However, many Senate Democrats opposed the deal. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer voted against the measure, arguing the deal only offers a future vote on extending health care tax credits rather than extending them directly.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
