A group of Senate Democrats crossed party lines Monday night to vote with Republicans in favor of a funding measure to reopen the federal government, leaving behind their demand to secure an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, reported CNN.
The measure passed 60 to 40 and now heads to the House, where Republican leaders hope to bring it to a vote by Wednesday. The deal, which President Donald Trump is expected to sign, would restore key services including federal food aid and resume pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
The vote marks the end of the longest shutdown in US history, now in its 41st day. The compromise was brokered by Senate Democratic centrists after days of quiet negotiations with GOP leaders and the White House.
Most Democrats had pushed to continue the fight for health care provisions, but centrists argued that with Trump firmly opposed, there was no realistic path to policy wins. Instead, they secured a promise for a future vote on a health care bill of their choosing - though its survival in Congress remains uncertain.
The broader legislative package would fund several key agencies through fiscal year 2026, including programs for veterans, federal food aid, and the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program.
Attention now shifts to House Speaker Mike Johnson, who will need Trump’s backing to push the deal through a divided Republican conference. Trump signaled his support earlier, saying, “I think, based on everything I’m hearing, they haven’t changed anything, and we have support from enough Democrats, and we’re going to be opening up our country. It’s too bad it was closed, but we’ll be opening up our country very quickly.”