After 40 days of stalled negotiations and shuttered federal services, the Senate took a significant step Sunday toward ending what has become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. In a rare weekend session, lawmakers voted 60–40 to advance a spending package that would reopen the government, with several Democratic senators joining Republicans to break a prolonged standoff.
The legislation, which combines three full-year funding bills with a short-term continuing resolution, now returns to the House of Representatives for approval before heading to President Donald Trump for his signature. The government will not officially reopen until those steps are completed, a process expected to take several days.
“We’re getting close to the shutdown ending,” President Trump said Sunday night. “You’ll know very soon.”
Democratic Senators Cross Party Lines
The key development Sunday came when a group of Democratic senators joined Republicans to move the package forward. GOP leaders needed five Democratic votes to advance the measure and ultimately secured more than that, despite pushback from other Democrats who argued the deal did not provide firm commitments on health care priorities.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire were among those in favor, with both lawmakers citing the need to restore funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which had expired earlier in the shutdown.
Additional negotiations took place over the weekend among Democratic senators including Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Jon Ossoff (Ga.), Gary Peters (Mich.), and Dick Durbin (Ill.), according to multiple congressional aides.
However, opposition within the party remained notable. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voted against the package, criticizing Republicans for what he described as inadequate health care protections. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also spoke forcefully against the bill, calling the lack of concrete subsidy extensions “harmful” to families facing rising medical costs.
On the Republican side, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) continued to oppose the measure, expressing concerns about the impact of certain provisions on his state's hemp industry.
Key Provisions in the Spending Deal
The package includes funding for several major areas of government operations and outlines next steps for policy debates that have been at the center of the shutdown. Among the major components:
Health Care: The agreement schedules a vote in December on whether to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Some Democrats argued that a promised vote does not guarantee relief, contributing to the split within the party.
Federal Workers: The bill would reverse layoffs connected to the shutdown and ensure furloughed federal employees receive backpay.
Social and Defense Programs: Funding would be restored for SNAP benefits, defense spending, veterans affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and operations of the legislative branch through fiscal year 2026.
Short-Term Government Funding: Remaining federal agencies would be funded under a continuing resolution through Jan. 30, 2026.
What Comes Next
The House is expected to take up the package early this week. If approved, the legislation will move to the White House for President Trump’s signature, formally reopening the government.
For now, agencies remain partially closed, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers continue to await confirmation of when their jobs — and paychecks — will resume.
Congressional leaders on both sides acknowledged Sunday that while the deal does not resolve all policy disagreements, it represents progress after weeks of political gridlock.
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