The U.S. Senate on Sunday (9 November) moved forward on a measure aimed at reopening the federal government and ending a now 40-day shutdown that has side lined federal workers, delayed food aid and snarled air travel.
In a procedural vote, senators advanced a House-passed bill that will be amended to fund the government until 30 January and include a package of three full-year appropriations bills.
If the Senate eventually passes the amended measure, it still must be approved by the House of Representatives and sent to President Donald Trump for his signature, a process that could take several days.
Extending subsidies
Under a deal struck with a handful of Democrats who rebuffed their party’s leadership, Republicans agreed to a vote in December on extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The subsidies, which help lower-income Americans pay for private health insurance and are due to expire at the end of the year, have been a Democratic priority during the funding battle.
The vote to advance the bill passed by a 60-40 margin, the minimum needed to overcome a Senate filibuster.
“It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending,” Trump told reporters at the White House prior to the vote.
Win for federal worker unions
The bill would prohibit federal agencies from firing employees until 30 January, a win for federal worker unions and their allies. It would stall Trump’s campaign to downsize the federal workforce.
It would also provide back pay for all federal employees, including members of the military, Border Patrol agents, and air-traffic controllers.
Some 2.2 million civilians worked for the federal government at the start of Trump’s second term, according to federal records. At least 300,000 employees are expected to leave the government by the end of this year due to Trump’s downsizing effort.
When the Senate reconvenes on Monday, Republican leaders will try to get a bipartisan agreement to circumvent Senate rules and move quickly to passage. Otherwise, the chamber would require much of the coming week to move through procedural actions before voting on final passage, possibly extending the shutdown into next weekend.
Positive reaction
“It was a good vote tonight," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters after the Senate adjourned on Sunday (9 November).
"Hopefully, we'll get an opportunity tomorrow to set up the next votes. Of course, that's going to take some cooperation and consent," Thune added.
Sunday's deal was brokered by Democratic Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, both from New Hampshire, and Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, said a person familiar with the talks.
"For over a month, I’ve made clear that my priorities are to both reopen government and extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. This is our best path toward accomplishing both of these goals," Shaheen posted on X.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chamber's top Democrat, voted against the measure.
Many Democrats on the Hill watched the deal unfold with displeasure.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” wrote U.S. Representative Ro Khanna on X.
“If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?" Schumer wrote.
Mounting pressure
Sunday marked the 40th day of the shutdown, which has sidelined federal workers and affected food aid, parks and travel, while air traffic control staffing shortages threaten to derail travel during the busy Thanksgiving holiday season late this month.
Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, said the mounting effects of the shutdown pushed the chamber toward an agreement.
"Temperatures cool, the atmospheric pressure increases outside and all of a sudden it looks like things will come together," Tillis told reporters.
Should the government remain closed for much longer, economic growth could turn negative in the fourth quarter, especially if air travel does not return to normal levels by Thanksgiving, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned on the CBS "Face the Nation" show. Thanksgiving falls on 27 November this year.
The wrangling on Capitol Hill came as Trump on Sunday again pushed to replace subsidies for the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplaces with direct payments to individuals.
Subsidies at the heart of the shutdown
The subsidies, which helped double ACA enrollment to 24 million since they were put in place in 2021, are at the heart of the shutdown. Republicans have maintained they are open to addressing the issue only after government funding is restored.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday to blast the subsidies as a "windfall for Health Insurance Companies, and a DISASTER for the American people," while demanding the funds be sent directly to individuals to buy coverage on their own.
"I stand ready to work with both Parties to solve this problem once the Government is open," Trump wrote.
Americans shopping for 2026 Obamacare health insurance plans are facing a more than doubling of monthly premiums on average, health experts estimate, with the pandemic-era subsidies due to expire at the end of the year. The ACA enrollment period, however, runs through to 15 January, which would allow time for a legislative effort to extend the credits for next year.
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