WASHINGTON ‒ The Senate approved a deal Monday night to end the nation's longest-ever government shutdown, putting Congress on the brink of resolving a weeks-long fight that has disrupted flights and halted food stamps for millions of Americans.
In a 60-40 vote, the Senate signed off on a deal reached by eight members of the Democratic Senate Caucus and Republicans to reopen the government through Jan. 30. The continuing resolution now heads to the House of Representatives, which is expected to take it up on Wednesday following the Veteran's Day holiday.
The bill is expected to have enough votes in the Republican-controlled House for passage, even though most Democrats are likely to vote against it.
The government shutdown has stretched 42 days. In a concession to Democrats, the continuing resolution would reverse President Donald Trump's recent layoffs of federal workers amid the shutdown ‒ but it would not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies as Democrats had demanded for weeks.
Instead, the bill only guarantees a stand-alone vote on the health care subsidies in December before the credits expire at the end of the year and send health care premiums skyrocketing. It's unclear enough Republicans support extending the ACA subsidies for the measure to pass in the Senate, and Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to holding a vote in the House.
The eight Democratic defectors in the Senate are facing widespread criticism from within their party for caving to Trump's shutdown threats. And Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, despite voting against the deal, is hearing calls to step down from leadership for not keeping his caucus in line.
Trump says he supports Senate deal to reopen government
Trump said on Monday he supports the Senate deal to reopen the government brokered between Republican leaders and eight Democratic lawmakers.
"Based on everything I'm hearing, they haven't changed anything,” Trump told reporters Monday in the Oval Office. “And we have support from enough Democrats, and we're going to be reopening our country."
"It's too bad it was closed, but we'll be reopening our country very quickly," Trump said.
The agreement, which would require Trump's signature to become law, would reverse Trump’s recent firing of federal workers during the shutdown, but the president suggested he’s fine with that.
“I’ll abide by the deal. The deal is very good,” Trump said.
What's in the deal?
The deal that advanced in the Senate would reopen the government until Jan. 30 and cover full-year funding for several agencies and programs, including food aid and veterans' benefits. SNAP funding would continue through September at higher levels.
It also includes a commitment to vote on a bill to potentially extend expiring Obamacare subsidies. The tax credits, which millions of Americans rely on for help paying premiums, have been the issue at the center of the shutdown fight.
In addition, the deal will reverse the layoffs of thousands of federal workers, while barring any potential firings until Jan. 30. The terminations have been temporarily blocked by a federal court.
Trump pledges $10,000 bonuses for air traffic controllers who worked during shutdown
Trump on Monday pledged to provide $10,000 bonuses to air traffic controllers who worked while being unpaid during the shutdown and threatened to dock the pay of those who haven't reported to work.
“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!” Trump said on social media Nov. 10. “Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.'"
Many air traffic controllers continued working without a paycheck during the shutdown. But others refused and didn't report to airports across the country, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to order airlines to cancel 4% of their flights over the weekend.
Trump told Fox News on Monday night he's not sure where he will get the funding for the bonuses. “I don’t know. I’ll get it from some place. I always get the money from some place."
Democrats fume over colleagues giving in
A handful of Senate Democrats have backed the compromise to reopen the government, but it didn't make them popular among their fellow leaders on the left.
“Making this deal is malpractice,” New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said in a statement.
“Pathetic,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in a one-word post on X.
And most Senate Democrats balked at the compromise.
“I cannot support a deal that still leaves millions of Americans wondering how they are going to pay for their health care or whether they will be able to afford to get sick," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia.
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