US Senate advances deal to end historic shutdown; final House vote pending as ACA subsidy debate continues. Photo: X.
The United States is all set to end the longest federal government shutdown in its history, though final congressional approval is still pending. The Senate advanced a compromise bill on November 9, setting the stage for a possible resolution as early as November 10.
In a 60-40 vote, the Senate agreed to move forward with legislation to reopen the government. The breakthrough came after eight Democratic senators shifted their stance on long-standing health care demands and joined 52 Republicans to end the filibuster that had stalled progress for weeks.
A final Senate vote is expected when the chamber reconvenes at 11 a.m. ET on Monday, November 10. However, because senators amended the temporary funding bill originally passed by the House to extend government funding until January 30, the measure must return to the House for another vote before it can be signed by President Donald Trump.
The agreement would reverse layoffs of approximately 4,000 federal employees that had begun during the shutdown. Those layoffs had already been halted by a federal judge.
The deal also sets the stage for a December vote on whether to extend federal subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These subsidies are scheduled to expire on December 31.
Republican leaders have argued against extending the ACA subsidies without broader reforms to the program, which President Trump and GOP lawmakers have criticized as costly and inefficient. Without an extension, Obamacare premiums are expected to double. Many Senate Democrats had withheld their support for any government funding measure unless the subsidies were preserved.
“I cannot support a deal that still leaves millions of Americans wondering how they are going to pay for their health care or whether they will be able to afford to get sick,” said Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia.
Once the Senate approves the bill, it will move to the House, where Republicans maintain a narrow majority. However, House leadership has not yet scheduled a vote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana may struggle to bring lawmakers back to Washington quickly. The House has not held a vote in several weeks, and although members were instructed to remain on 48-hour return notice, travel disruptions have escalated. Airlines reported the highest number of flight delays and cancellations of the shutdown on November 9.
For weeks, Democrats insisted they would not vote to reopen the government unless an ACA subsidy extension was included. The final agreement stops short of guaranteeing the extension, instead promising only a future vote on the matter.
If both chambers approve the compromise, the shutdown could formally end after 41 days, allowing federal agencies to resume full operations.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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