U.S. Senate Passes Deal to End Longest Government Shutdown in History

Washington, November 10: The U.S. Senate on Monday approved a bipartisan compromise to end the longest government shutdown in American history, breaking a weeks-long impasse that had disrupted food assistance for millions, left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay, and strained air travel nationwide.

The measure passed by a 60–40 vote, with nearly all Republicans and eight Democrats supporting the bill. Democratic senators had pushed to link government funding to the renewal of health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year—benefiting an estimated 24 million Americans—but failed to secure the provision in the final agreement. While the deal sets up a December vote on the subsidies, it does not guarantee their continuation.

Under the agreement, federal agencies that lost funding after October 1 will have their operations restored. The deal also temporarily halts President Donald Trump’s campaign to reduce the size of the federal workforce, preventing layoffs until January 30.

The legislation now heads to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated an intention to pass the bill as early as Wednesday and forward it to President Trump for his signature. Trump described the agreement to reopen the government as “very good.”

The bill would extend funding through January 30, keeping the government operational while continuing to add roughly $1.8 trillion annually to the national debt, which now stands at $38 trillion.

The deal has sparked criticism among progressive Democrats, who argue that the party conceded too much in exchange for reopening the government. “We wish we could do more,” said Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat. “The shutdown seemed to offer a chance for better policy—but it didn’t work.”

The agreement follows a string of Democratic victories in state elections across New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City, where voters elected a democratic socialist as mayor. Despite this momentum, Democrats remain frustrated by the uncertainty surrounding future votes on key health programs.

Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in late October found that 50% of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown, while 43% blamed Democrats.

Financial markets reacted positively to news of the breakthrough. U.S. stocks rose on Monday, buoyed by investor optimism over the deal’s passage and the prospect of restored federal operations.

However, the compromise does little to address ongoing concerns over President Trump’s unilateral spending actions, which have included the cancellation of billions in federal allocations and significant reductions to the government workforce—moves critics say infringe upon Congress’s constitutional power over spending. The bill also lacks clear safeguards to prevent further executive-led budget cuts.

One major reassurance in the package is continued funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through September 30 next year, averting the risk of food-aid disruption should another shutdown occur in the coming months.

Reporting by Richard Cowan, Andy Sullivan, and Nolan D. McCaskill. Additional reporting by Katharine Jackson, Jasper Ward, David Shepardson, Courtney Rozen, and Trevor Hunnicutt. Writing by Andy Sullivan. Editing by Scott Malone and Lisa Shumaker.