US Senate Passes Deal to End Government Shutdown

Mon Nov 10 2025 11:55:21 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a move aimed at resolving the ongoing government shutdown, the US Senate has passed a crucial deal, marking a significant step towards funding the government after a record 40-day deadlock.

After extensive negotiations, the US Senate passed a bipartisan deal to end the government shutdown, which has affected millions of federal employees and public services. The bill needs to clear additional hurdles, including a vote in the House of Representatives, before full government operations resume. Major points of contention remain, particularly concerning healthcare and future appropriations.

A deal aimed at ending the US government shutdown has passed the Senate, paving the way for the record-breaking impasse to be broken.

After a weekend of negotiations in Washington, a minority of Democrats joined with Republicans and voted in favour of an agreement.

The vote is a procedural first step towards passing a compromise to fund the government since it ran out of money on October 1.

It will need to clear several more hurdles – including a vote from the House of Representatives – before federal employees and services return, but it is the first serious sign of progress after 40 days of deadlock.

The current shutdown is the longest on record in the US, and until this weekend, it appeared that Republican and Democratic lawmakers were locked in a stalemate.

Many government services have been suspended since October, and around 1.4 million federal employees are on unpaid leave or working without pay.

The shutdown has also had wide-ranging impacts on a variety of services, including US air travel and food benefits for 41 million low-income Americans.

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The agreement was negotiated between Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the White House, with Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, needed the measure to clear a 60-vote minimum threshold.

They were able to attract eight votes from the other side of the aisle while losing just one in Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who voted against it after saying the bill would increase national debt.

The deal includes an agreement for a vote in December on extending healthcare subsidies that are due to expire this year, a key issue that Democrats had been holding out for concessions on.

Democratic Party leaders had said that they would not lend their support to new funding for government operations until Congress addressed these subsidies that help tens of millions pay for health insurance purchased through government-run exchanges.

Thune expressed optimism about the bipartisan effort, stating, I'm thankful to be able to say we have senators, both Democrats and Republicans, who are eager to get to work to address that crisis in a bipartisan way. However, he did not specify the content of the promised health bill, raising concerns among Democrats about the adequacy of the negotiations.

Critics from within the Democratic Party, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressed disappointment in the deal, describing it as insufficient to address the healthcare crisis that has been at the forefront of their agenda.

The shutdown has led to unprecedented challenges, including the suspension of many key government services and the financial strain placed on federal workers. As the bill moves towards the House of Representatives, more debates and negotiations are expected before a permanent resolution can be established.