Senate passes funding package to end government shutdown as Democrats face party backlash
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. The US Senate has passed a critical funding bill that could end the longest government shutdown in American history within days.
The breakthrough came after Senate Democrats broke with their party to strike a deal with Republicans, in a move that has enraged many in their caucus.
Some Democrats are now calling for the Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer to resign, even though he voted against the deal, as many in the party are furious that the agreement does not include any extensions on healthcare subsidies.
California Governor Gavin Newsom – considered a top contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination – was among those who criticized the deal, saying on Monday he had “deep disappointment, deep concern about my party right now”.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” said congressman Ro Khanna, who represents the Silicon Valley region of California. “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?”
The bill passed in a 60-40 vote on Monday evening, on day 41 of the shutdown, with nearly all Republicans (bar Kentucky’s Rand Paul) joining eight Democrats who splintered from the party to approve a compromise deal that would fund most federal agencies until the end of January.
Republicans – who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate – needed the deal to get over the 60-vote minimum threshold.
The US president, Donald Trump, has expressed support for the deal, and Speaker Mike Johnson has urged members of the House – which has been on an extended recess since the shutdown began – to return in preparation for a vote and a swift delivery to the president’s desk.
The shutdown has had devastating impacts on a variety of services, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, millions at risk of losing food assistance and many other Americans facing travel disruption amid flight delays and cancellations.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest political developments.
Key events
As we mentioned in the opening post, eight senators in the Democratic caucus worked with Republicans to craft the deal to reopen the US government.
They were Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and independent Angus King of Maine who caucuses with the Democrats.
You can read about why these Democrats broke rank in this story about the defections by my colleague Joseph Gedeon.
Senate passes funding package to end government shutdown as Democrats face party backlash
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. The US Senate has passed a critical funding bill that could end the longest government shutdown in American history within days.
The breakthrough came after Senate Democrats broke with their party to strike a deal with Republicans, in a move that has enraged many in their caucus.
Some Democrats are now calling for the Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer to resign, even though he voted against the deal, as many in the party are furious that the agreement does not include any extensions on healthcare subsidies.
California Governor Gavin Newsom – considered a top contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination – was among those who criticized the deal, saying on Monday he had “deep disappointment, deep concern about my party right now”.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” said congressman Ro Khanna, who represents the Silicon Valley region of California. “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?”
The bill passed in a 60-40 vote on Monday evening, on day 41 of the shutdown, with nearly all Republicans (bar Kentucky’s Rand Paul) joining eight Democrats who splintered from the party to approve a compromise deal that would fund most federal agencies until the end of January.
Republicans – who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate – needed the deal to get over the 60-vote minimum threshold.
The US president, Donald Trump, has expressed support for the deal, and Speaker Mike Johnson has urged members of the House – which has been on an extended recess since the shutdown began – to return in preparation for a vote and a swift delivery to the president’s desk.
The shutdown has had devastating impacts on a variety of services, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, millions at risk of losing food assistance and many other Americans facing travel disruption amid flight delays and cancellations.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest political developments.
