US Government shutdown nears resolution

November 11, 2025 (MLN): The longest-ever US government shutdown appeared headed Monday toward resolution after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in advancing a compromise deal, sparking intra-party backlash, as APP reported. 

Since October 1, the first day of the shutdown, more than a million federal workers have gone unpaid, while government benefits and services have been increasingly disrupted.

Severe impacts on air traffic have mounted in recent days, with more than 1,000 flights canceled daily, raising political pressure to end the stalemate.

"We'll be opening up our country very quickly," former President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding, "the deal is very good."

After clearing a key procedural hurdle late Sunday, the Senate began the voting process Monday to pass the compromise budget measure.

The bill would then move to the House of Representatives, which, like the Senate, is controlled by Republicans.

The chamber could vote on the bill as early as Wednesday to send it to Trump's desk.

"It appears to us this morning that our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end, and we're grateful for that," House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday.

"At least some Democrats now finally appear ready to do what Republicans and President Trump and millions of hardworking American people have been asking them to do for weeks."

Johnson said the House, which he had kept out of session throughout the standoff, would be called back this week. "I'd like to vote tonight after the Senate is done, but it takes everybody a while to get back," he told CNN.

At the heart of the impasse is Democrats' demand to extend health insurance subsidies expiring at the end of the year.

Republicans insist negotiations occur only after the government reopens. Millions of Americans who purchased health insurance through the "Obamacare" program would see their costs double if the subsidies are not extended.

Sunday’s breakthrough agreement would reopen the government through January, with some programs funded for the full fiscal year, and reverse some of the Trump administration's firings of federal workers.

The bill would also restore funding for the SNAP food aid program, which helps more than 42 million lower-income Americans pay for groceries.

While Senate Republican leadership has agreed to hold an eventual vote on health care, the extension of subsidies is not guaranteed.

"After 40 days of uncertainty, I'm profoundly glad to be able to announce that nutrition programs, our veterans, and other critical priorities will have their full-year funding," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said late Sunday.

Although leaders are rushing the bill through Congress, it could still take several days to reach Trump's desk, especially with Tuesday being a national holiday.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, one of eight Democratic senators who backed the measure, said the Senate "took a big step forward towards protecting the health care of tens of millions of Americans."

She added that the agreement would grant Democrats, despite being in the minority, the power to call a vote on health care legislation.

However, the extension of subsidies is not guaranteed, angering some party members who preferred to hold out.

"Pathetic," California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on X in reaction to the agreement.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer voted no, saying he could "not in good faith" support a measure "that fails to address the health care crisis."
"This fight will and must continue," he vowed.

Some lawmakers criticized Schumer for failing to keep Democrats united.

"Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership," Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton said Sunday.

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