Washington, November 10: The U.S. Senate on Sunday advanced legislation aimed at ending a 40-day federal government shutdown that has disrupted air travel, delayed food aid and sidelined hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
In a procedural vote, senators agreed 60–40 to move forward on a House-passed bill that would fund the government through January 30 and include a package of three full-year appropriations measures. The bill will be amended in the Senate and must then be approved again by the House of Representatives before being sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
“It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending,” Trump told reporters at the White House before the vote.
The bill includes an agreement with a small group of Democrats to hold a vote in December on extending federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which help lower-income Americans afford private health insurance. Those subsidies are due to expire at the end of this year and have been a key Democratic demand during the funding standoff.
The measure also prohibits federal agencies from firing employees until January 30, a concession to public-sector unions, and provides back pay for all furloughed workers, including members of the military, Border Patrol agents and air-traffic controllers.
About 2.2 million civilians worked for the federal government at the start of Trump’s second term, according to official records. Around 300,000 are expected to leave by the end of this year under the administration’s downsizing plans.
The shutdown, now in its sixth week, has strained travel and food aid programs and threatened to derail Thanksgiving travel later this month due to air traffic controller shortages.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned that if the government remains closed much longer, economic growth could turn negative in the fourth quarter.
The compromise was brokered by Democratic Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Independent Senator Angus King of Maine. “This is our best path toward reopening the government and extending the ACA tax credits,” Shaheen said on X.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday’s vote was a positive step. “Hopefully, we’ll get an opportunity tomorrow to set up the next votes,” he told reporters.
But not all Democrats backed the deal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voted against it, and Representative Ro Khanna urged his party to replace Schumer, saying, “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing, what will you fight for?”
Trump, meanwhile, reiterated his opposition to ACA subsidies, calling them a “windfall for health insurance companies and a disaster for the American people.” He said he was ready to work with both parties on a replacement system of direct payments to individuals once the government is reopened.
The ACA subsidies, credited with helping double enrollment to 24 million people since 2021, are set to expire at year-end, potentially more than doubling monthly premiums for Americans shopping for 2026 health plans. Thanksgiving falls on November 27 this year, and lawmakers are racing to restore government operations before travel disruptions intensify during the holiday season.
