Senate Clears Bill To End 41-Day Government Shutdown

The Senate approved a government funding package to reopen the federal government Monday night over the objections of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a majority of Democrats.

Lawmakers voted 60 to 40 to pass the legislation with eight Democrats joining with Republicans to support the measure. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was the lone Republican to vote “no,” citing the measure’s insufficient spending cuts.

Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Dick Durbin of Illinois voted “yes” on the legislation to bring an end to the 41-day shutdown standoff. Independent Maine Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, also supported the funding package.

The bipartisan shutdown package will fund the government through the end of January and advance a slate of appropriations bills that will fund the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs and Agriculture, the legislative branch and military construction for the current fiscal year.

In return, Senate Republicans have committed to holding a vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies slated to expire at year’s end and rehire federal workers laid off during the shutdown.

President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday that he will abide by the terms of the deal, calling it “very good.”

The successful vote brings Congress one step closer to ending the record-breaking shutdown. The House of Representatives will have to approve the legislation before President Donald Trump can sign the measure into law.

The final vote came after the same group of Democratic caucus members advanced the stopgap bill on Sunday night in a notable break with Schumer and House Democratic leadership. The defecting senators argued the shutdown’s pain for Americans had become too great and that the minor concessions secured from Republicans were sufficient.