WASHINGTON D.C. – In an uncommon Sunday session that ran past midnight, the U.S. Senate moved a bipartisan funding bill forward, setting the stage to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The 40-day closure began at midnight on October 1, 2025, after Congress missed the deadline for fiscal year 2026 funding.
It has hit families and businesses hard, from unpaid federal workers to flight delays and reduced food aid. After weeks of blame and failed votes, a group of moderate Democrats joined Republican leaders to strike a deal, injecting pragmatism into a stubborn standoff.
Negotiated behind closed doors amid grim economic alerts, the plan funds most federal agencies through January 30, 2026. It also steers the country away from a meltdown just before peak Thanksgiving travel.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) praised the measure as “a reset button for fiscal sanity,” and credited the White House and cross-aisle negotiators. President Donald Trump, criticized for layoffs during the shutdown, posted, “GOP held the line on waste—Democrats blinked. America wins!” The House will vote next, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has signaled a fast track to avoid more delays.
Democrats Break Ranks to End Government Shutdown
The standoff began with Republicans seeking steep cuts and Democrats pushing to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Threatened vetoes and the Senate’s 60-vote rule added pressure. Early efforts fell short. On November 7, Democrats blocked a Republican bill that would have paid furloughed workers and troops.
The 53-43 vote failed to clear the hurdle. GOP leaders, who control both chambers, tied ACA changes to funding. Democrats called that a “poison pill” that would raise premiums.
Momentum shifted Sunday evening when eight to ten Democrats crossed the aisle. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both from New Hampshire, and independent Angus King of Maine led the move, going against Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Schumer, angry on the floor, labeled the plan a “surrender” and pledged to oppose it.
The centrists secured a pledge from Thune for a mid-December vote on extending ACA tax credits, which are set to end this year. That promise does not guarantee passage, but it opens the door for debate and may soften immediate pushback from the left.
The procedural vote advanced a House-passed continuing resolution. It combined full-year funding for agriculture, veterans affairs, and legislative operations with stopgaps for other agencies. It also guarantees backpay for all federal employees, rolls back some Trump-era layoffs, and pays back states that covered programs such as SNAP during the shutdown.
“The mounting effects—canceled flights, hungry families—pushed us here,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a key negotiator. White House economists warned that without action, fourth-quarter GDP could turn negative, with Thanksgiving air travel under threat.
A Nation’s Fury: What Americans Are Saying
Democrats have broken with leadership on shutdown votes before, like in 2018, but this defection was larger. Shaheen told reporters after a caucus lunch, “New Hampshire families can’t wait for purity tests; they need paychecks and open parks.”
King echoed that, saying the votes were “enough to pass” after private White House briefings. Some Democrats held firm. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) blasted the agreement as too costly, tweeting, “New Mexicans can’t afford this ‘deal.’”
Public anger has been intense, and polls show Republicans getting more blame than Democrats. Federal workers across agencies shared stories of unpaid bills and empty fridges. “40 days without pay—my kids ate ramen while politicians played chicken,” one TSA worker posted on X. Air traffic controllers warned of risks as delays mounted and 13,000 workers were furloughed.
SNAP households, more than 42 million people, saw the worst disruption after the USDA halted full November benefits mid-shutdown. “This isn’t politics; it’s survival,” wrote a single mom from Ohio in a post that drew thousands of likes.
Small businesses complained about stalled SBA loans, and veterans criticized closed VA clinics. On X, hashtags like #EndTheShutdown and #PayOurWorkers trended. Conservatives, including Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.), faulted Democrats for an “America-last agenda,” while progressives accused Republicans of using the shutdown as “leverage for cruelty.”
Voters want it over. Recent surveys show 62% disapprove of Congress’s handling. Independents, a key 2026 bloc, dislike the brinkmanship. “Even unions and airlines turned on Schumer,” one GOP operative wrote on X. The left is not satisfied either. “Don’t let this all be for nothing,” Raw Story warned, highlighting frustration over perceived capitulation. California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted, “Pathetic. This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender.”
Backpay, Backlash, and What Comes Next
Economist Kevin O’Leary summed up the stakes: “When government stops, America stops. That’s not politics—it’s math.” Markets steadied on Monday, and the dollar index held at 99.6 on hopes the shutdown would end. For many, the relief is mixed. “Finally,” a D.C. barista wrote on X, “but at what cost to our faith in this broken system?”
The bill includes key protections. SNAP receives full funding through 2026, there are no new layoffs through January, and states will be reimbursed for emergency costs. It leaves bigger fights for later, like zero-based budgeting or term limits sought by spending hawks. Progressives say the ACA promise is too vague. House Democrats, including Hakeem Jeffries, warn of a looming “Republican healthcare crisis.”
Trump’s policies on foreign aid and SNAP freezes set the backdrop for this fight. The politics are tricky. Republicans risk alienating base voters who want deeper cuts. Democrats face critics who say they gave in without enough in return. “Damage to the Democratic brand,” Sen. Chris Murphy warned earlier.
For now, Washington begins to reopen. Parks welcome visitors, passport offices resume processing, and workers get paid. Still, the agreement is temporary. As one X user wrote, “40 days of chaos for a January bandage? Wake me for the real budget.” In a Capitol defined by filibusters and short-lived truces, this feels like a pause, not a resolution. Voters are tired of the drama. Will Congress hear them as the midterms draw near?
