In a 60-40 Sunday vote on November 9, 2025, the Senate cleared a procedural hurdle to end the 40‑day government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — after seven Democrats and independent Angus King joined Republicans. The agreement funds the government through January 30, 2026, but does not guarantee an extension of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, drawing opposition from Democratic leaders.
The Senate met in a rare Sunday session on November 9 to act on a bipartisan framework aimed at reopening the federal government after six weeks of closure. In a 60‑40 procedural vote, seven Democrats — Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), John Fetterman (Pa.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) — and independent Angus King (Maine) joined most Republicans to advance a spending package.
As outlined by Senate leaders, the deal would keep most agencies funded through January 30, 2026; pair that stopgap with three full‑year appropriations bills for the legislative branch, military construction and Veterans Affairs, and Agriculture; appropriate SNAP through late 2026; and reverse more than 4,000 federal layoffs attempted during the shutdown while barring additional mass firings through the end of January. It also includes a commitment for a Senate floor vote in December on extending expiring Affordable Care Act premium subsidies — with no assurance of passage in the Republican‑controlled chamber.
The agreement quickly split Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voted no, calling the measure inadequate on health care. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said it was a “terrible mistake,” arguing Democrats should “stand and fight for health care.” Supporters countered that the package was the only viable path to end mounting harm. Shaheen, a lead negotiator, said waiting longer would “only mean more harm,” while King said he preferred “a reasonable chance” to pass subsidies after reopening over “no chance” while shuttered. Cortez Masto maintained Democrats remain united on affordability and warned that “if Republicans choose not to come to the table…they own the disastrous premium increases.”
Backlash from across the party was swift. According to Politico, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton called the deal a “complete betrayal of the American people,” while Texas Senate candidate Colin Allred labeled it “a joke,” as first reported by Notus. California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted “Pathetic” on X, and Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker wrote, “This is not a deal — it’s an empty promise.” Progressive advocacy group Indivisible urged primaries against Democrats who backed the agreement and called for new leadership if the deal stood.
The vote also exposed personal rifts. In New Hampshire, congressional candidate Stefany Shaheen said she could not support a deal that failed to extend ACA tax credits even as her mother, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, helped negotiate and backed the measure.
Two of the Democrats who voted to advance the package — Durbin and Shaheen — have announced they will not seek reelection in 2026. The others are not on the ballot again until 2028 or 2030. The independent, King, is next up in 2030.
The package now moves to the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority. Until a final bill reaches the president’s desk, core shutdown effects — from disrupted air travel to pressure on nutrition assistance and delayed federal pay — will persist.
