The U.S. Senate voted this Monday (November 10, 2025) to begin consideration of the House-approved bill to end the government shutdown.
With 60 votes in favor and 40 against, the procedural vote allowed negotiations to move forward and opened the door to final approval of the bill.
The motion required a simple majority (60) to pass, which was achieved thanks to the support of eight Democratic senators who joined Republicans.
Democrats who voted in favor of the debate were Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman, Dick Durbin, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Jacky Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen.
The Senate is expected to take a series of votes, including considering amendments to the House bill, before final approval.
These amendments aim to reflect an agreement reached by a majority of Republican senators and eight dissident Democrats.
longest closure in history
If the bill is approved by the Senate, it must pass the House of Representatives and receive approval there before it can take effect.
The agreement allows the federal government to temporarily reopen for 40 days, the longest in the country’s history, and guarantees retroactive paychecks for federal employees affected by the shutdown until a full budget for fiscal year 2026 is negotiated.
The measure could end a crisis that has canceled thousands of flights, suspended food assistance programs and left more than 1 million federal workers without pay across the country.
A lack of agreement between Republicans and Democrats on health care subsidies is seen as a key point of conflict, with about 24 million people, especially seniors, potentially losing Obamacare coverage if there is no deal by December.
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