The Senate voted late Monday to pass legislation reopening the U.S. government after the longest shutdown in the nation’s history, with eight Democrats breaking ranks to join Republicans in a 60-40 vote. The measure, which funds the government through Jan. 30 without extending Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire, now moves to the House, where a vote could occur as early as Wednesday.
President Donald Trump has expressed support for the bipartisan agreement, saying, “We’re going to be opening up our country very quickly,” signaling the likely end of the 41-day shutdown that began Oct. 1.
The vote marked a major breakthrough following weeks of partisan gridlock that left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and disrupted government services nationwide. All Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky supported the measure, while eight Democrats crossed party lines to approve the bill amid growing pressure from constituents affected by the prolonged shutdown.
The shutdown’s end was largely brokered by a small coalition of moderate senators, including New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Maine Independent Angus King. The group negotiated a compromise to advance three bipartisan spending bills and extend the rest of government funding into late January. In return, Republican leaders promised to hold a vote on extending health care subsidies by mid-December, though passage remains uncertain.
Shaheen acknowledged that the deal fell short of Democratic goals but said it was necessary to bring relief to millions of Americans hurt by the stalemate. “This was the option on the table,” she said. “We believed the shutdown had effectively raised awareness about health care, and this gives us an opportunity to keep pushing forward.”
The legislation reverses mass firings of federal employees carried out since the shutdown began and ensures all affected workers will receive back pay once the government officially reopens.
Alongside Shaheen, King, and Hassan, Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also supported the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and most Democrats opposed it, saying the deal failed to protect key health care provisions.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders called the vote a “horrific mistake,” while Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy warned it undermined voters who had urged Democrats to hold the line on health care. In the House, Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar criticized the compromise as a “betrayal” of Americans relying on affordable care.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, welcomed the Senate’s passage and urged members to return to Washington “right now,” despite travel disruptions caused by the shutdown. The House is expected to take up the measure Wednesday.
The legislation’s passage sets up a new political battle over health care funding in December. Republicans remain divided on whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, with some advocating for income-based limits or structural reforms. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins signaled openness to an extension “with changes,” while Trump and other conservatives have renewed calls to repeal or overhaul the law altogether.
The Senate on Monday also voted 47-53 along party lines against a one-year extension of the health care subsidies, reflecting the challenges ahead. Despite the divisions, the bipartisan deal represents a rare moment of consensus on Capitol Hill after weeks of mounting public frustration and economic strain caused by the record-breaking shutdown.
