The US Senate has reached an agreement that moves the federal government closer to reopening after five weeks, after a group of eight Democratic members of the Senate joined Republicans in exchange for a future vote on extending healthcare subsidies, as well as guarantees that federal workers laid off during the shutdown will be reinstated.
The measure, which had failed 14 times, passed by a vote of 60 to 40, paving the way for the government to reopen later this week, according to CBS News.
The group of eight Democrats who joined Republicans are Dick Durbin of Illinois; Angus King of Maine; Catherine Cortez and Jacky Rose, both of Nevada; John Fetterman of Pennsylvania; Tim Kaine of Virginia; In addition to Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both from New Hampshire, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against the bill once again.
The proposal would fund military construction, veterans’ projects, the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture, and the legislative branch until September 30, 2026. It also includes a temporary measure to fund the rest of the government until January 30 of next year and the reinstatement of the more than 4,000 federal employees laid off during the shutdown, according to the online newspaper The Hill.
However, the bill requires approval from the House of Representatives before being sent to President Donald Trump for his signature. Hours before the vote, Trump stated that “it looks like we’re very close to the end of the shutdown.”
Pressure on Democratic senators increased earlier this month when funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), on which millions of people in the United States depend, expired. Furthermore, thousands of flights have been canceled due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, and the suspension of government activities has threatened to contract the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Kevin Hassent, director of the White House National Economic Council.
