Senate Approves Government Funding Plan
On Monday night, the Senate passed a plan to reopen the federal government, despite opposition from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic majority. The bill passed with a 60-40 vote, drawing support from eight Democrats who sided with Republicans. Interestingly, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to oppose it, expressing concerns over inadequate spending cuts.
Democratic senators, including Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), Tim Kaine (Virginia), Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), along with Dick Durbin (Illinois), voted in favor of the bill. Notably, Maine’s Angus King, who is an independent aligned with Democrats, also supported the funding package.
This bipartisan solution will ensure government funding through the end of January and advance several spending bills to support the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Agriculture, as well as military construction for this fiscal year.
In exchange, Senate Republicans agreed to consider extending enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire year-end and to rehire federal workers who were laid off during the shutdown.
President Trump commented on the agreement, calling it “very good” and expressing his intention to abide by it.
This successful vote moves Congress closer to ending a historic government shutdown. However, the House still needs to approve the bill before it can be signed by President Trump.
The final vote followed a clear break from Schumer and House Democratic leadership, as some Democratic members presented a stopgap bill Sunday night. These defecting senators argued that the impact of the shutdown was too severe for the American public and considered the concessions made by Republicans sufficient.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin noted that many colleagues felt the government should remain shut down indefinitely, yet he supported the deal, emphasizing that using the government shutdown to settle political scores was not acceptable.
Meanwhile, King pointed out that six weeks into the shutdown, it was evident that such a strategy hadn’t met its goals and had caused unnecessary harm to many.
Despite facing criticism from party colleagues and activists, seven Democrats, including King, ultimately voted for the funding proposal.
Fetterman remarked that numerous Democrats privately supported the Senate deal but feared public backlash for voting in favor.
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, opposed to the funding measure, expressed concern over Schumer’s tactics, stating that past strategies might not apply to the current situation and emphasizing the need for effective response.
Some Democrats contend that the agreement failed to adequately address the extension of ACA subsidies. Republican Senate Minority Leader John Thune has promised to hold a vote on a Democratic-sponsored extension in December, but opposition is expected.
Senator John Cornyn from Texas expressed skepticism over the likelihood of the Democratic ACA bill passing. Nevertheless, all members agreed to expedite the closure package for a final vote.
Senate Majority Leader Thune addressed the urgency of the situation, advocating for the swift passage of the bill to alleviate the ongoing suffering of Americans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has called on lawmakers to return to Washington for a vote on the spending package, aiming for the earliest possible decision amid congressional celebrations of Veterans Day.
“As of Sunday, nearly half of all domestic and U.S. flights have been canceled or delayed. This is a serious issue,” he stated, urging both parties to quickly return to work.
