The United States Senate has voted in favour of ending a government shutdown that has lasted for 40 days, sidelined federal workers, delayed food aid and significantly disrupted domestic air travel.
In the vote on Sunday night, local time, 60 senators — including eight Democrats who voted with Republicans to achieve a necessary majority — decided to end debate and support the advancement of a funding bill that had previously been passed by the House of Representatives.
The final vote was made by Republican Senator for Texas John Cornyn and sealed a 60–40 margin.
His vote came more than an hour after those before him because he had flown out of Washington DC and had to travel back to the capital, according to reports by multiple US outlets.
John Thune says the potential deal is “coming together”. (Reuters: Leah Millis)
The amended bill combines a short-term funding measure to finance government work and agencies until January 2026 with a package of three full-year appropriations bills, according to Senator Majority Leader John Thune.
A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democratic senator Maggie Hassan and Independent senator Angus King of Maine — broke the voting stalemate.
Under a deal struck with those Democrats, Republicans agreed to a vote in December on extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, Reuters reported. The subsidies have been a Democratic priority during the funding battle.
The resolution would also reverse at least some of the Trump administration’s mass lay-offs of federal workers during the shutdown and fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for a year.
The Senate approval means that the amended package will now go back to the House of Representatives to be passed again and then sent to President Donald Trump for his signature, a process that could take several days.
Before Sunday, Senate Democrats had resisted efforts to pass a funding measure, aiming to pressure Republicans to agree to healthcare fixes that would include extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
Under the deal being discussed, Republican Senate leadership agreed to hold a separate vote later on the subsidies.
The bill would prohibit federal agencies from firing employees until January 30, a win for federal worker unions and their allies that would also stall Mr Trump’s campaign to downsize the federal workforce.
It would also provide back pay for all federal employees, including members of the military, Border Patrol agents, and air-traffic controllers who have been working unpaid for the past 40 days.
US Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, told reporters earlier that he would vote against the funding measure but suggested there could be enough Democratic support to pass it.
“I am unwilling to accept a vague promise of a vote at some indeterminate time, on some undefined measure that extends the healthcare tax credits,” Senator Blumenthal said.
In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 seats and the Democrats hold 45.
The GOP needed at least seven Democrats to flip and vote to approve the amendments to reach a majority.
Sunday marked the 40th day of the shutdown, which has sidelined federal workers and affected food aid, parks and travel, while air traffic control staffing shortages threaten to derail travel during the busy Thanksgiving holiday season later this month.
The House of Representatives would have to reconvene after being out of session for more than a month to pass the amended bill. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)
Republican senator Thom Tillis said the mounting effects of the shutdown had pushed the chamber toward an agreement.
He said the final piece, a new resolution that would fund government operations into late January, would also reverse at least some of the Trump administration’s mass lay-offs of federal workers.
“Temperatures cool, the atmospheric pressure increases outside and all of a sudden it looks like things will come together,” Senator Tillis told reporters.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Sunday night, Mr Trump said: “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending, you’ll know very soon”.
Thousands of US flights cancelled in a day
Before Sunday, Democrats had voted 14 times not to reopen the government and demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans have refused to negotiate on the healthcare subsidies while the government is closed, but they have so far been supportive of the proposal from moderate Democrats as it emerged over the last several days.
For those enrolled in health exchanges under that law, also known as “Obamacare”, premiums on average are expected to more than double next year if Congress allows the enhanced subsidies to lapse.
Reuters/AP