Senate Takes Steps to End Government Shutdown
In a bid to end the ongoing government shutdown, a coalition of Democratic senators joined Republicans on Sunday night in support of a plan to reopen the federal government. This move follows a tense 40-day shutdown that notably impacted airports and put thousands of workers on furlough.
The Senate advanced a House-passed resolution with a 60-40 vote, marking a significant step towards restoring government operations. This progress was made possible after some centrist Democrats reached a funding agreement with Senate Republicans and the White House.
Historically, Senate Democrats have stalled government funding bills from the House on 14 different occasions. However, mounting pressure arose following the expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding on November 1. The subsequent shortage of air traffic controllers severely disrupted airport operations, prompting centrist and retiring Democrats to push for government reopening.
Eight Democratic senators ultimately voted in favor of the House’s proposal. Among them were Dick Durbin from Illinois, who is set to retire this year, along with Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire, and Tim Kaine from Virginia, who represents a large number of workers in his state.
Joining them was Angus King, an independent senator from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats, and who had closely collaborated with Shaheen and Hassan on this agreement. Senators John Fetterman and Catherine Cortez Masto also supported the measure, maintaining a consistent stance over recent weeks. Additionally, Jacky Rosen of Nevada voted alongside her fellow senator Cortez Masto.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune now intends to modify the House legislation to incorporate the compromises reached with Shaheen, Hassan, King, and others. Shaheen, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, worked alongside Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins on this funding bill.
The legislative proposal aims to fund military projects, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Congress until September 30, 2026, while also including temporary measures to finance other government operations until January 30.
This compromise additionally stipulates protections for over 4,000 federal employees during the shutdown, attempting to prevent the administration from enacting layoffs through force reductions in the upcoming resolution.
Kaine actively participated in crafting these protections for federal employees. The bill’s passage facilitates the House’s return to Washington after a lengthy seven-week recess, enabling them to send the measure to the President’s desk.
As part of a larger agreement, Thune has committed to scheduling a vote later this year on extending health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) set to expire in January. However, Senate Republican leaders haven’t assured that this extension measure will pass in the Senate, nor will it necessarily make it through the House if it does.
Hassan and King have been pushing Thune to agree to a December vote on the subsidy extension. The arrangement guarantees substantial funding for parts of the federal government through regular appropriations bills until September 30, which is a significant priority for Democrats. It also paves the way for Congress to address other appropriations bills for the Army and Health and Human Services.
After weeks of negotiations involving Shaheen, Hassan, King, Republican members of the Appropriations Committee, Senate leadership, and the President, the deal was finalized.
Sunday’s vote capped off intense discussions where Democratic senators spent considerable time trying to resolve the impasse. Yet, some Democrats, including Gary Peters from Michigan, who played a crucial role in negotiations, ultimately voted against the reopening measures.
Alongside him, Elissa Slotkin, Jon Ossoff, Tammy Baldwin, and Peter Welch also opposed the bill. Slotkin noted her withdrawal from talks when it became evident that the deal lacked ACA subsidy extensions for government funding.
“I had been involved for quite a while, but things shifted recently. I wasn’t part of the discussions toward the end,” she told reporters after a caucus meeting. “While I believe we must take concrete actions regarding healthcare, it’s unclear how this divergence occurred,” she added.
