The U.S. Senate approved a bill late Monday to fund the federal government, effectively bringing an end to the nation’s longest government shutdown. The legislation, which passed with a 60-40 vote, received the backing of nearly all Republican senators and a small group of Democrats, and will now move to the House of Representatives, owned by the Republicans, for further consideration.
Should the House give its approval, the measure will advance to President Donald Trump, who indicated earlier in the day that he supports the agreement in its current form. The funding package was hammered out over the weekend through negotiations between Senate Republicans and a caucus of moderate Democratic lawmakers.
The Senate’s procedural vote saw support from seven Democrats and one independent aligned with Democrats, alongside 52 Republicans, clearing the 60-vote hurdle required for passage.
Notably, the legislation does not feature an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits—a key objective for the Democratic caucus—with the credits set to expire at year-end. However, for the first time since the shutdown began, Republicans have committed to allowing a vote in December on a Democrat-chosen bill that would extend those ACA subsidies, which currently benefit more than 20 million Americans by lowering the cost of health plans purchased through ACA exchanges.
Furthermore, the agreement will continue funding for the SNAP program through September, ensuring ongoing food assistance for approximately 42 million Americans.
