Washington, D.C. – November 10, 2025 – In a dramatic late-night session that stretched into the early hours of Monday, the U.S. Senate voted 60-40 to break a Democratic filibuster and advance a bipartisan government funding bill, marking a pivotal step toward ending the nation's longest federal shutdown on record. The procedural victory, achieved after 40 grueling days of impasse, came when eight Senate Democrats and one independent crossed party lines to join Republicans, overcoming weeks of gridlock that had furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers, disrupted air travel nationwide, and threatened food assistance for millions of low-income Americans.
The shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, when Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure amid disputes over fiscal priorities, surpassed the previous record of 35 days set during the 2018-2019 standoff over border wall funding. By Sunday, the economic toll was mounting: The Department of Transportation reported over 5,000 flight cancellations in the past week alone due to understaffed air traffic control towers, where controllers were working without pay. Meanwhile, the expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding on November 1 left states scrambling to issue partial benefits, with the Trump administration issuing a memo threatening penalties for non-compliance and capping reimbursements at 60% of November allotments. An estimated 800,000 federal employees—ranging from IRS auditors to national park rangers—remained furloughed, while another 1.2 million essential workers, including TSA screeners and Coast Guard personnel, continued duties without compensation.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) hailed the vote as a "long-overdue breakthrough," crediting the "bipartisan spirit" that emerged after exhaustive weekend negotiations. "After 40 long days, I’m hopeful we can bring this shutdown to an end," Thune declared on the floor just before the roll call, emphasizing the "truly precarious situation" facing unpaid workers and holiday travel. The measure now advances to debate, where amendments could attach three full-year appropriations bills—for agriculture (including full SNAP funding through fiscal 2026), veterans affairs, and the legislative branch—while extending stopgap funding for the rest of the government until January 31, 2026. It also mandates backpay for all affected federal workers upon reopening and prohibits further layoffs via reductions in force during the funding lapse.
At the heart of the deadlock were expiring enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which Democrats insisted must be extended in any funding package to prevent average premiums from doubling in 2026—potentially affecting 24 million enrollees. These subsidies, enacted during the Biden era to counter pandemic-era health costs, are set to lapse on December 31, 2025, without congressional action. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had proposed a one-year extension in exchange for reopening the government, but Republicans, backed by President Donald Trump, rejected it as a "nonstarter," arguing it rewarded Democratic obstruction. Trump, in a Sunday morning post on X, renewed calls to eliminate the Senate filibuster altogether, labeling the ACA "the worst healthcare anywhere in the World" and suggesting subsidies be redirected to individual Health Savings Accounts rather than insurers.
The compromise, brokered by a cadre of centrist Democrats and GOP appropriators, offers no immediate extension but guarantees a Senate vote by mid-December on a Democratic-drafted bill to renew the credits for one year. Independent Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats and voted yes, called it a "chance, not a guarantee," warning that without House and presidential buy-in, it could prove "wasteful." Critics within the Democratic caucus, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), decried the deal as a capitulation, with Sanders voting no and labeling the promised vote a "gesture" unlikely to survive GOP amendments. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), another no vote, lamented that "25 million people... are getting no relief," highlighting the human cost of delayed action.
The eight Democrats who broke ranks—Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and King—faced immediate backlash from progressive allies but defended their choice as pragmatic. Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat and a veteran of past shutdown fights, broke most sharply with leadership, telling reporters post-vote, "I have never voted for a shutdown, and I didn’t tonight." His decision, influenced by Illinois' heavy reliance on federal jobs, underscored the regional pressures: Virginia's Kaine cited the plight of 300,000 federal workers in his state, while New Hampshire's Hassan and Shaheen pointed to SNAP disruptions affecting 200,000 constituents. Fetterman, a populist voice, framed his yes vote as prioritizing "working families" over ideological purity, per a statement shared on X.
On the Republican side, unity nearly cracked during the roll call. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) initially withheld votes, huddling with Thune and Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in animated discussions. Cornyn arrived late to the Capitol, citing travel delays, while the trio voiced "issues" over the bill's lack of deeper ACA reforms and hemp industry riders—a nod to Kentucky's economy that irked Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). They ultimately voted yes, but Paul stood alone in opposition, the lone GOP no, blasting the package for perpetuating "Biden-era spending levels" that he said exceeded revenue by $2 trillion annually. Paul's dissent, consistent with his fiscal hawk stance, echoed his votes against prior funding attempts, including a 55-45 procedural failure on October 1.
The chamber erupted in applause as the gavel fell at 10:49 p.m. ET, with the vote precisely meeting the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Yet hurdles remain: Senate rules allow any single senator to delay final passage for up to 72 hours, potentially pushing approval to Wednesday. The House, controlled by Republicans, must then reconvene—likely by Tuesday—to adopt the Senate-amended version before sending it to Trump's desk. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) signaled support Sunday, tweeting that the deal aligns with GOP priorities of "fiscal responsibility without amnesty." Trump, who has vetoed similar measures in the past, is expected to sign promptly, avoiding a veto override fight.
Beyond immediate relief, the accord signals fragile détente in a divided Congress. The December ACA vote looms as a flashpoint: Republicans like Sens. Scott, Lee, and Johnson advocate converting subsidies into tax credits for health savings accounts, a reform Trump endorsed Sunday. Democrats, meanwhile, eye the midterms, with vulnerable senators like Cortez Masto and Rosen betting the shutdown's pain will boost turnout among affected voters. Economic analysts project the shutdown cost $18 billion in lost productivity, per the Congressional Budget Office, with ripple effects lingering into 2026.
As the Senate adjourns for now, Thune cautioned against complacency: "This is just the beginning—January's deadline will test us again." For furloughed workers like Smithsonian curator Elena Vasquez, who told reporters she's maxed out credit cards to cover rent, the wait feels eternal. "We've held the line for principle," Vasquez said outside the Capitol. "Now, let's get back to work." With markets rallying on the news—Bitcoin surging past $106,000 in after-hours trading—the focus shifts to implementation, a reminder that in Washington, breakthroughs are often preludes to the next battle.
