Senate Passes Bill to End Shutdown

The U.S. Senate on Monday, November 10, 2025, passed critical legislation aimed at reopening the federal government, bringing an end to the longest shutdown in the nation's history. This significant development followed weeks of intense negotiations and a bipartisan agreement forged between a small group of Democrats and Republicans, as reported by The Hindu.

The bill, which passed with a 60-40 vote, now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration, with a vote anticipated as early as Wednesday, November 12, 2025, according to CBS News. This legislative action seeks to restore full government operations after 41 days of closure, which began on October 1, 2025, due to a failure to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year.

The protracted shutdown, now officially the longest in U.S. history, has severely impacted federal workers and various public services nationwide, as detailed by USAFacts. An estimated 900,000 federal employees were furloughed, while hundreds of thousands more worked without pay, creating widespread financial hardship and operational disruptions across agencies.

The bipartisan deal, brokered by senators including Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, and Angus King, represents a compromise to fund most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, according to Holland & Knight. It also includes full-year funding for specific departments, such as Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Agriculture.

A key component of the agreement ensures that all furloughed federal workers will receive back pay, and those who were laid off will be reinstated, CBS News reported. This provision addresses one of the most pressing concerns for the federal workforce, many of whom had missed multiple paychecks during the impasse.

Despite the breakthrough, the deal notably does not include an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, a core demand from many Democrats, as highlighted by The Washington Post. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has committed to holding a separate vote on these subsidies by mid-December.

President Donald Trump has expressed support for the Senate-passed bill, calling it "very good" and indicating his intention to sign it into law once it clears the House, Reuters reported. House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged members to return to Washington promptly for the upcoming vote, acknowledging the urgency of ending the shutdown.

• Historical Context of the Shutdown: The 2025 government shutdown, which commenced on October 1, 2025, officially became the longest in U.S. history, surpassing the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019, according to time Magazine and The Guardian. This prolonged impasse stemmed from Congress's failure to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year, a recurring challenge in federal budgeting since 1997, USAFacts noted.

• Key Stakeholders and Political Dynamics: The resolution emerged from intense negotiations, with eight Democratic senators, including Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen, crossing party lines to vote with Republicans, CBS News confirmed. This bipartisan cooperation was crucial, as previous attempts to pass funding bills had failed numerous times in the Senate.

• Economic and Social Implications: The shutdown had significant economic repercussions, with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimating a permanent loss of approximately $11 billion in economic activity, pbs reported. Federal workers missed an estimated $16 billion in wages, leading to reduced consumer spending and postponed major purchases. Essential services, including parts of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Head Start, faced disruptions, impacting vulnerable communities, as detailed by the National League of Cities.

• Impact on Federal Operations and Public Services: Beyond financial strain on employees, the shutdown led to the closure of national parks and museums, and caused widespread flight cancellations and delays due to shortages of unpaid air traffic controllers, according to CBS News and TIME. The Department of Health and Human Services also reported that over 58,600 children in 134 Head Start centers across 41 states and Puerto Rico were at risk of not receiving grants.

• Details of the Bipartisan Agreement: The deal includes a continuing resolution to fund most government agencies at existing levels until January 30, 2026, providing a temporary reprieve. Additionally, it incorporates full-year appropriations for military construction, veterans affairs, and the legislative branch, along with the Department of Agriculture and FDA, as outlined by the League of Minnesota Cities. The agreement also guarantees back pay for federal workers and reverses previous layoff notices.

• Controversial Omission and Future Legislative Battles: A major point of contention was the exclusion of an extension for enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at year-end. While Senate leadership promised a vote on these subsidies by mid-December, this concession angered many progressive Democrats, who viewed it as a retreat from a key party demand, The Washington Post reported.

• Path Forward and Potential Challenges: The bill now faces a vote in the House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has a narrow Republican majority, making its passage potentially challenging if a significant number of Democrats vote against it, as noted by The Washington Post. Even if passed and signed by President Trump, the short-term funding through January 30, 2026, sets the stage for another potential budget showdown early next year.