Senate Passes Legislation to Open Federal Government

WASHINGTON — November 10, 2025 — In a dramatic late-night vote that broke a weeks-long partisan deadlock, the U.S. Senate approved a compromise funding package Monday evening, paving the way to reopen the federal government after the longest shutdown in American history. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives, where Republican leaders have signaled swift action but face mounting pressure to deliver before the impasse inflicts further economic pain.

The bill passed the Senate on a largely party-line tally following a procedural breakthrough on Sunday, when eight Democratic senators and one independent crossed the aisle to join Republicans in advancing the legislation. With the vote secured, the chamber cleared the final hurdles by a simple majority, sending the continuing resolution — dubbed H.R. 5371 — to Speaker Mike Johnson's desk. If approved, President Donald Trump has indicated he will sign it into law, potentially restoring operations as early as Wednesday.

"This is a critical step forward for the American people," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in remarks from the floor shortly after the vote. "After 41 grueling days, we've secured a path to reopen government, protect our federal workforce, and ensure essential services like SNAP benefits flow uninterrupted. But the work isn't done — the House must now do its part.

"The shutdown, which began October 1 when Congress failed to pass appropriations bills amid deep divisions over spending cuts and health care subsidies, has furloughed over 800,000 federal employees, delayed paychecks for military personnel, and disrupted vital programs from food assistance to air travel. Airlines reported thousands of cancellations over the weekend due to understaffed air traffic controllers, while millions of low-income Americans faced uncertainty over Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments — a crisis temporarily eased by a federal court order but still hanging in the balance.

Under the terms of the deal, the government would receive funding through January 30, 2026, averting an immediate relapse into shutdown territory. Key provisions include:

• Back pay and job protections: Full retroactive salaries for all affected federal workers, reversal of thousands of shutdown-related layoffs, and a moratorium on further firings through the fiscal year's end.

• Agency funding: Restoration of operations for non-essential agencies, with three full-year appropriations bills bundled in for defense, veterans' affairs, and agriculture.

• Benefit safeguards: Extension of SNAP and veterans' services funding into next year at enhanced levels, though it falls short of Democratic demands to permanently extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits set to expire December 31.

The compromise came at a cost to party unity on both sides. Seven Democrats, including Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, bucked progressive calls to hold out for broader health care concessions, drawing sharp rebukes from the party's left flank. "This was a failure we can ill afford to repeat," Fetterman said in a statement, apologizing to unpaid Capitol Police and SNAP recipients. Republicans, meanwhile, hailed the victory as a rebuke to what they've termed the "Schumer Shutdown," crediting Trump's Oval Office endorsement for breaking the logjam.

President Trump, speaking to reporters earlier Monday, called the agreement "very good" and a "win for fiscal responsibility." The White House had pushed aggressive workforce reductions during the standoff, but the bill effectively halts that effort until late January, buying time for negotiations on Trump's broader downsizing agenda.

17GEN4.com