The US Senate voted 60-40 on Monday to pass a compromise bill to end the longest government shutdown in American history, moving the measure to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for final approval. The decision came after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans, sparking divisions within the party’s ranks.
Since October 1, over one million federal employees have gone without pay, while critical government services and benefits were disrupted. The shutdown has also strained the nation’s air transportation system, with more than 1,000 flights canceled daily in recent days, increasing pressure on lawmakers to act.
President Donald Trump praised the bipartisan breakthrough, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “We’ll be opening up our country very quickly,” adding that “the deal is very good.” Senate Republican Leader John Thune echoed the sentiment, writing on X that he supported “a clear path to ending this unnecessary shutdown in a responsible way that quickly pays federal workers and reopens the federal government.”
Among the Democrats who crossed party lines was Senator John Fetterman, who defended his vote on X: “Feed everyone. Pay our military, government workers, and Capitol Police. End the chaos in airports. Country over party.” His post underscored the growing frustration over the shutdown’s impact on Americans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had kept the chamber out of session throughout the standoff, said the House could reconvene as early as Wednesday, since Tuesday is a national holiday. “It appears to us this morning that our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end, and we’re grateful for that,” Johnson said. He added that “at least some Democrats now finally appear ready to do what Republicans and President Trump and millions of hardworking American people have been asking them to do for weeks.”
At the center of the stalemate were disputes over extending health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. Democrats had insisted the subsidies, which expire at year’s end, be renewed in the funding package, while Republicans demanded negotiations resume only after the government reopened. Without the extension, millions of Americans who rely on the program would face doubled insurance costs.
The stopgap bill would reopen the government through January, restore full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that aids over 42 million low-income Americans, and reverse some Trump administration firings of federal workers. While the Senate GOP agreed to hold a later vote on healthcare, the extension of subsidies remains uncertain.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, one of eight Democrats backing the bill, said the measure “took a big step forward towards protecting the health care of tens of millions of Americans.” But the move drew backlash from within her party. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the agreement “pathetic,” while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer opposed the bill, saying he “could not in good faith support a measure that fails to address the health care crisis.”
As Washington edges closer to reopening, the episode highlights deep divisions within both parties, and the growing struggle to balance political brinkmanship with the daily realities facing American families.
