WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted 60–40 late Sunday to approve a bipartisan agreement ending the 40-day federal government shutdown, sending the measure to the House for final action early this week.
The package funds most federal agencies through Jan. 30, 2026, reverses recent layoffs, and restores pay for more than two million furloughed workers. The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, was the longest in U.S. history and had halted air travel programs, food-assistance payments and public-health operations.
The vote came after hours of procedural wrangling and last-minute coordination by Senate leaders. Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah and John Cornyn of Texas cast the decisive votes to reach the 60-vote threshold needed for passage under Senate rules.
What’s in the package
The legislation amends the House-passed continuing resolution (H.J.Res. 112) to extend government funding at current fiscal-year levels through Jan. 30 while attaching three full-year appropriations bills: Agriculture; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; and the Legislative Branch. Together they maintain spending for veterans’ hospitals, FDA oversight and congressional operations, and add $203.5 million for congressional security.
The plan reverses “reductions in force” imposed since Oct. 1, restoring about 100,000 federal employees to their jobs and providing back pay for all furloughed workers. It also restores full November SNAP benefits for roughly 42 million Americans.
Democrats dropped demands for an immediate one-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits. Instead, the Senate will hold a separate vote in December on the proposal and form a bipartisan group to study long-term health-care policy.
Other provisions restart paused CDC and FAA programs and exclude proposed cuts to IRS, diversity or foreign-aid initiatives.
Political reaction
Three Democratic and independent senators — Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Angus King of Maine — joined Republicans in voting for the bill. Progressive Democrats including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chuck Schumer of New York opposed it, citing concerns that the agreement did not include stronger health-care or worker-protection provisions.
The House is expected to take up the measure Tuesday. President Trump has not commented publicly, but aides said the White House is not opposing the bill. Markets reacted positively late Sunday, with stock-index futures rising modestly after the vote.
If enacted, full government operations are expected to resume within 24 hours.
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