The U.S. Senate voted 60-40 to approve a stopgap funding bill paired with three full-year appropriations, moving to reopen the federal government after a 41-day shutdown. The package funds most operations through January 30, 2026, restores back pay and jobs for federal workers affected by reduction-in-force actions, and fully funds agriculture and legislative-branch operations as well as military construction and veterans’ programs through September 2026. It omits an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, a key Democratic demand, and adds a new provision letting senators sue over secret seizures of their phone data.
The Senate on November 10 approved a bipartisan package to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, advancing it to the House for a vote as early as Wednesday. The final tally was 60-40 after seven Democrats and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) joined Republicans. The measure would keep most agencies funded until January 30 and combines three yearlong appropriations bills into a single “minibus.” It passed on Day 41 of the shutdown that began October 1. (washingtonpost.com)
Which Democrats crossed the aisle? According to multiple outlets, the seven were Dick Durbin (Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.) and Tim Kaine (Va.); King also voted yes. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the sole Republican no vote. (aljazeera.com)
What’s in the bill: It funds the government at current levels through January 30 and enacts full-year fiscal 2026 appropriations for Agriculture-FDA, the Legislative Branch, and Military Construction–Veterans Affairs. That structure is designed to stabilize key programs such as SNAP and WIC through September 2026, even if other talks stall again in January. The Senate Appropriations Committee and independent coverage describe the package as a three-bill “minibus.” (appropriations.senate.gov)
Worker protections: The legislation prohibits new layoffs through January 30 and nullifies reduction‑in‑force actions taken since October 1, ordering agencies to rescind notices, reinstate affected employees to their pre‑shutdown status, and provide back pay. Those safeguards are spelled out in Section 120 of the bill text. (congress.gov)
Health care dispute unresolved: The package does not extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that expire at year’s end absent congressional action. Senate Majority Leader John Thune pledged a separate Senate vote in December, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has declined to promise House consideration. Health-policy analysts at KFF estimate that, without an extension, subsidized marketplace enrollees would see average premium payments more than double in 2026—roughly from $888 in 2025 to about $1,900—figures cited by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) in an NPR interview explaining his opposition. (washingtonpost.com)
Phone-records provision: Tucked into the Legislative Branch bill is a new private right of action for senators whose official “Senate data” (including metadata) is obtained without notice. If a senator prevails, courts must award the greater of $500,000 per violation or actual damages, plus attorneys’ fees. The text bars any “absolute or qualified immunity” defense and expressly waives sovereign immunity. The measure follows disclosures that investigators in the 2020 election probe analyzed phone records of several GOP senators, including Lindsey Graham and Marsha Blackburn; critics such as Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called the late addition “precisely what’s wrong with the Senate,” while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said Majority Leader Thune “inserted” it to put “real teeth” behind limits on targeting senators. (congress.gov)
SNAP benefits and the courts: While the bill would provide full-year funding for SNAP, legal wrangling has complicated November payments during the shutdown. On Friday, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused a lower-court order requiring full benefit issuance; on Tuesday, the Supreme Court extended that pause until Thursday, November 13. Some states paid full benefits before the pause, while others halted or provided partial payments. (opb.org)
Air travel disruptions: Flight delays and cancellations have mounted amid air traffic controller absences and FAA‑mandated traffic reductions during the shutdown, with thousands of flights affected over recent days. Transportation officials warned cuts could reach 10–20% if the funding lapse persisted. (washingtonpost.com)
What’s next: The House is expected to take up the Senate’s package as soon as Wednesday, November 12. President Donald Trump has signaled support and said he would abide by the deal’s protections reversing shutdown‑era layoffs. (finance.yahoo.com)
