Republicans seek swift approval of deal to reopen government

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Monday morning, Nov. 10, 2025. “You need to begin right now in returning to the Hill,” Johnson said in remarks directed to members of the House, where Republicans hold a slim majority. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)

By ASHLEY AHN, MICHAEL GOLD and CATIE EDMONDSON

The end to the longest U.S. government shutdown ever was in sight Monday, the day after eight senators who caucus with Democrats broke ranks and provided the votes to advance a plan to fund most federal agencies through January.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the majority leader, urged his colleagues not to “pointlessly” drag out the process after a 60-40 vote late Sunday that exposed a rift among Democrats but cleared the way for the Senate to move toward a final vote in the coming days.

“People have suffered for long enough,” he said on the Senate floor. He was pressing to secure the agreement that would be needed from all 100 senators to move forward before the end of the day.

Even if that were to happen, the government would be unlikely to reopen before Wednesday. The package must pass the Senate and then go to the House for its approval before being signed by President Donald Trump.

Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday he would give his members, who have been on an extended recess and have not held a vote since Sept. 19, 36 hours to return to Washington after Senate approval. They should begin the process of returning to Capitol Hill “right now,” he said.

The plan did not include Democrats’ central demand, the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of the year, drawing an angry backlash from many in the party.

Even so, the votes Sunday by the eight members of their caucus suggested there was enough support to end the gridlock that has shuttered the government for weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, millions of Americans at risk of losing food assistance and millions more facing air-travel disruptions.

The compromise measure includes a spending package that would fund the government through January, as well as three separate spending bills to cover programs related to agriculture, military construction and legislative agencies for most of 2026. The package also includes a provision that would reverse layoffs of federal workers made during the shutdown and ensure retroactive pay for those who have been furloughed.

Here’s what else to know:

— Democrats bitterly divided: Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, opposed the package. Several top Democrats in the House, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader, said they would not back the deal, although they would have no chance of defeating it if Republicans in that chamber hold together. The senators who voted with the Republicans could afford to take a political hit: Two are retiring, and others are not facing reelection next year.

— Health insurance subsidies: Moderate and progressive Democrats alike expressed anger that their colleagues had backed down from the party’s demand for an extension of Affordable Care Act premium subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of the year. Democrats had for weeks called on Republicans to agree to permanently extend the subsidies in exchange for their votes to reopen the government. Schumer scaled back that demand Friday by proposing an extension of the health tax credits for a year, but Republicans immediately rejected the idea. Thune instead promised to allow a vote in December on extending the expiring health insurance tax credits, but that measure faces long odds in the Republican-led Congress.

— Travel disruptions: Airlines braced for further chaos this week, despite the progress in the Senate. More than 1,400 flights were canceled Monday, more than 5.5% of scheduled trips. The reductions are expected to rise to 6% on Tuesday, 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration said the cuts were needed to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay for more than a month.

— Food stamp benefits: The Trump administration told the Supreme Court in a filing Monday that it would continue to pursue its case to withhold full federal funding for food stamps amid the government shutdown.