The Senate passed a compromise package to reopen the government and will send the framework to the House, setting the stage for the record-long shutdown to end this week after more than 40 days.
The bill passed in a 60-40 vote after eight Democrats joined nearly all Republicans in supporting the measure. Its passage comes after weeks of negotiations in the Senate stemming from overwhelming opposition from Democrats, who wanted a permanent extension of COVID-19-era subsidies included in the final product.
The Obamacare language was not tucked into the spending package, but Democrats were given assurances by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to hold a standalone vote on extending the healthcare tax credits. That vote is expected sometime in December, and it was enough to convince a handful of Democrats to end the filibuster that has plagued the Senate for seven weeks.
Eight senators who caucus with the Democrats voted to end the filibuster and supported final passage: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Angus King of Maine (an independent), Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. One Republican voted against: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who objected over some language related to hemp regulations.
The spending framework would fund the entire government until Jan. 30 and includes the full-year appropriations bills for the legislative branch, the Agriculture Department, and military construction and veterans affairs for the rest of the 2026 fiscal year.
The resolution also contains language to reinstate federal workers who were laid off by the Trump administration due to the shutdown and provide back pay for those removed from their positions. That provision was a key win for some moderate Democrats looking for policy wins in the shutdown fight.
The bill now heads to the House for consideration where it must be approved by a simple majority before it can be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
It may take a day or two before the House can consider the spending package as lawmakers scramble to secure flights back to the Capitol. The House has not been in session since Sept. 19.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., advised members to begin their return to Washington on Monday morning, with GOP leaders eyeing a vote as early as Wednesday, a source familiar with the schedule told the Deseret News.
But House Democrats could seek to draw out the process. The bill must first be approved by the House Rules Committee, which sets the parameters for debate and voting procedure for legislation. Democratic lawmakers can introduce an unlimited number of amendments, which has historically dragged out the rules process for hours.
The committee has not yet been noticed for a meeting, but a lawmaker on the panel told the Deseret News they could get started as early as 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Many of the lawmakers are still working on getting flights, the lawmaker said.
House leadership has started whipping support on the bill, with top Republicans warning they should not expect or rely on Democratic support. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters Democrats would continue fighting against the spending package.
“America is far too expensive. We will not support spending legislation advanced by Senate Republicans that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Jeffries said in a statement on Sunday. “We will fight the GOP bill in the House of Representatives, where Mike Johnson will be compelled to end the seven week Republican taxpayer-funded vacation.”