A bipartisan deal to end the government shutdown cleared a key hurdle in the Senate on Sunday night, receiving the 60 votes needed to move toward final passage.
The agreement was led by Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, along with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both Democrats from New Hampshire.
The final vote was 60–40, with most Republicans voting in favor, joined by a group of Democrats who had been holding out. Several Democrats still opposed the deal, and GOP Sen. Rand Paul also voted no.
The deal would fund the government through Jan. 30, setting up another deadline early next year. It also guarantees a December vote on an Affordable Care Act measure selected by Democrats, and advances a bipartisan minibus to reverse shutdown-related workforce cuts, restore back pay and guard against similar disruptions in the future.
It also includes full SNAP funding through fiscal year 2026. The nutrition program had been at risk as the shutdown stretched on.
With cloture invoked, the Senate now moves into limited debate before a final vote, which would only require a simple majority. If approved, the package would then head to the House — where Speaker Mike Johnson has not yet said whether he supports the framework — before reaching President Donald Trump’s desk.
The shutdown began on Oct. 1 and is now the longest in U.S. history. The Senate has held more than a dozen votes during the standoff, as Democrats insisted on protecting Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year’s end, while Republicans argued that broader health care negotiations should come after the government reopens.
The current deal does not include an extension of those subsidies.
