\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Senate took the first step to end the government shutdown on Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who say Americans want them to continue the fight.In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process.The agreement does not guarantee the Affordable Care Act subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.A group of three former governors \u2014 New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine \u2014 broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits. The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly endorsed the deal and called the immediate vote to begin the process of approving it as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay.\u201cThe time to act is now,\u201d Thune said.Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, President Donald Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, \u201cIt looks like we\u2019re getting close to the shutdown ending.\u201dVideo below: Democratic senators discuss vote to fund governmentFive Democrats switch votesIn addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes.The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as around 10-12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations. But in the end, only five Democrats switched their votes \u2014 the exact number that Republicans needed. King, Cortez Masto and Fetterman had already been voting to open the government since Oct. 1.The vote was temporarily delayed on Sunday evening as three conservatives who often criticize spending bills, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, withheld their votes and huddled with Thune at the back of the chamber. They eventually voted yes after speaking to Trump, Lee said.Another Republican, Sen John Cornyn of Texas, had to fly back from Texas to deliver the crucial 60th vote.Video below: Sen. Thune discusses efforts to end government shutdownSchumer votes noAfter Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Schumer said he could not \u201cin good faith\u201d support it.Schumer, who received blowback from his party in March when he voted to keep the government open, said that Democrats have now \u201csounded the alarm\u201d on health care.\u201cWe will not give up the fight,\u201d he said.Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said that giving up the fight was a \u201chorrific mistake.\u201dSen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., agreed, saying that people in last week’s elections voted overwhelmingly Democratic \u201cto urge Democrats to hold firm.\u201dA bipartisan agreementDemocrats had voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans said they would not negotiate on health care, but GOP leaders have been quietly working with the group of moderates as the contours of an agreement began to emerge.The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government \u2014 food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills.The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.Video below: Sen. Bernie Sanders calls health care vote compromise a ‘meaningless gesture’House Democrats push backHouse Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn’t reduce health care costs is a \u201cbetrayal\u201d of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.\u201cAccepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn\u2019t a compromise \u2014 it\u2019s capitulation,\u201d Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.\u201dRep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that \u201cif people believe this is a \u2018deal,\u2019 I have a bridge to sell you.\u201dHouse Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans and said Democrats will continue to fight.\u201cDonald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,\u201d Jeffries said.Health care debate aheadIt’s unclear whether the two parties would be able to find any common ground on the health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to bring it up in his chamber.Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.\u201cTHE WORST HEALTHCARE FOR THE HIGHEST PRICE,\u201d Trump said of the Affordable Care Act in a post Sunday.Shutdown effects worsenMeanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown have been compounding. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union” that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be \u201creduced to a trickle\u201d if the government doesn’t reopen.At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were caught up in legal battles related to the shutdown.And in Washington, home to millions of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it is providing 8 million more meals ahead of the holidays than it had prepared to this budget year \u2014 a nearly 20% increase.___Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Senate took the first step to end the government shutdown<\/a> on Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who say Americans want them to continue the fight.<\/p>\n In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process.<\/p>\n The agreement does not guarantee the Affordable Care Act subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.<\/p>\n A group of three former governors \u2014 New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine \u2014 broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits. The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.<\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly endorsed the deal and called the immediate vote to begin the process of approving it as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide<\/a>, threaten food assistance<\/a> for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay.<\/p>\n \u201cThe time to act is now,\u201d Thune said.<\/p>\n Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, President Donald Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, \u201cIt looks like we\u2019re getting close to the shutdown ending.\u201d<\/p>\n Video below: Democratic senators discuss vote to fund government<\/p>\n Five Democrats switch votes<\/p>\n In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes.<\/p>\n The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as around 10-12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations. But in the end, only five Democrats switched their votes \u2014 the exact number that Republicans needed. King, Cortez Masto and Fetterman had already been voting to open the government since Oct. 1.<\/p>\n The vote was temporarily delayed on Sunday evening as three conservatives who often criticize spending bills, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, withheld their votes and huddled with Thune at the back of the chamber. They eventually voted yes after speaking to Trump, Lee said.<\/p>\n Another Republican, Sen John Cornyn of Texas, had to fly back from Texas to deliver the crucial 60th vote.<\/p>\n Video below: Sen. Thune discusses efforts to end government shutdown<\/p>\n Schumer votes no<\/p>\n After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Schumer said he could not \u201cin good faith\u201d support it.<\/p>\n Schumer, who received blowback from his party in March when he voted to keep the government open, said that Democrats have now \u201csounded the alarm\u201d on health care.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will not give up the fight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said that giving up the fight was a \u201chorrific mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., agreed, saying that people in last week’s elections voted overwhelmingly Democratic \u201cto urge Democrats to hold firm.\u201d<\/p>\n A bipartisan agreement<\/p>\n Democrats had voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans said they would not negotiate on health care, but GOP leaders have been quietly working with the group of moderates as the contours of an agreement began to emerge.<\/p>\n The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government \u2014 food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills.<\/p>\n The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.<\/p>\n Video below: Sen. Bernie Sanders calls health care vote compromise a ‘meaningless gesture’<\/p>\n House Democrats push back<\/p>\n House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.<\/p>\n Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn’t reduce health care costs is a \u201cbetrayal\u201d of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.<\/p>\n \u201cAccepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn\u2019t a compromise \u2014 it\u2019s capitulation,\u201d Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that \u201cif people believe this is a \u2018deal,\u2019 I have a bridge to sell you.\u201d<\/p>\n House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans and said Democrats will continue to fight.<\/p>\n \u201cDonald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,\u201d Jeffries said.<\/p>\n Health care debate ahead<\/p>\n It’s unclear whether the two parties would be able to find any common ground on the health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to bring it up in his chamber.<\/p>\n Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.<\/p>\n Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.<\/p>\n \u201cTHE WORST HEALTHCARE FOR THE HIGHEST PRICE,\u201d Trump said of the Affordable Care Act in a post Sunday.<\/p>\n Shutdown effects worsen<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown have been compounding. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights<\/a> on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.<\/p>\n Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union” that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be \u201creduced to a trickle\u201d if the government doesn’t reopen.<\/p>\n At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits<\/a> were caught up in legal battles<\/a> related to the shutdown.<\/p>\n