These are the 8 Senate Democrats who voted to end the shutdown

Eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted Sunday evening to proceed to a House-passed continuing resolution, taking a major step toward ending the 40-day shutdown.

The Senate voted 60-40 to advance the House bill, which will serve as the legislative vehicle for a bipartisan deal to fund military construction, veterans’ affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch through Sept. 30 and the rest of government through Jan. 30.

It sets th...

Senate votes to advance proposal to end 40-day government shutdown

A group of shutdown-weary Democratic senators voted with Republicans Sunday night to advance a legislative vehicle to reopen the federal government and end the 40-day shutdown that has left tens of thousands of workers furloughed and caused chaos at the nation’s airports.

The Senate voted 60-40 to proceed to a House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government, taking a big first step toward ending the shutdown after a group of centrist Democrats negotiated a funding ...

Senate has enough Democratic votes to reopen government after 40-day shutdown

Senate Democrats emerged from a two-and-a-half-hour caucus meeting Sunday night announcing there will be enough votes in the Senate to reopen the federal government after a grueling 40-day shutdown.

A group of centrist Democrats led by Sens. Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), negotiated the deal to reopen government with Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee led by Sen. Susan Col...

Jeffries opposes Senate moves to end shutdown

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday vowed to oppose a new Senate deal in the works to end the nearly six-week government shutdown.

In a statement, the Democratic leader dug his heels in on his party’s position that any legislation to reopen the government must include an extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, raising premiums for millions of Americans.

“House Democrats have co...

Democrats shift toward reopening government as key Virginia lawmaker backs deal

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who represents more than 144,000 federal employees in his home state, announced Sunday that he will support a deal to reopen the government even though it does not ensure an extension of enhanced health insurance premiums.

The legislation would, however, require the Trump administration to restore the thousands of federal workers fired during the shutdown during reductions in force (RIF), and it would prevent the president’s Office of Management and ...

Bessent says no formal ACA plan proposed despite Trump’s social media posts

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that he’s seen no formal proposal to overhaul the Affordable Care Act (ACA) despite President Trump’s latest call to nix the program and to direct the funds, instead, into the pockets of the American people.

“We don't have a formal proposal,” Bessent said in an interview on ABC News’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos, when asked about Trump’s recent remarks.

Trump on Saturday appeared to wade into the ongoing s...

Live updates: Senate works through weekend on shutdown deal; Trump to attend Commanders game

The Senate will again gather at the Capitol on Sunday in an attempt to negotiate an end to the now 40-day government shutdown, after a rare Saturday session yielded little progress despite mounting pressures.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters entering the weekend that lawmakers will remain in session until a deal is reached to reopen the federal government. He said Sunday that if Democrats vote to advance the House-passed continuing resolution, he ...

House Republican: ‘We’re going to get killed’ in midterms

Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew (N.J.) said his party will “get killed” in the 2026 midterms if it does not address rising health care costs. 

“We need to deal with [health care] now because, number one, it’s the right thing to do, just morally,” Van Drew said Friday on Fox Business’s “Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street.” “Number two, we’re going to get killed [in 2026].”

As the record-breaking government shutdown continues, open enrollment for Affordable Care Act (...

Hopeful week ends with deeper funding impasse

Last Tuesday’s off-year elections have altered the shutdown fight, just not in the way many on Capitol Hill had hoped.

Heading into last week, lawmakers on both sides had felt glimmers of optimism that they were on a path to dissolving the budget impasse. Centrist senators in both parties were negotiating over a potential spending compromise, and observers predicted that the Nov. 4 elections would grease the skids for a quick reopening of the government.

Just the ...

Five unanswered questions about the historic government shutdown fight

The shutdown, which has broken the record for the longest in U.S. history, has left many Americans wondering when exactly the government will reopen its doors.

Even lawmakers on Capitol Hill don’t have the answer.

Though there have been bipartisan negotiations in the Senate, no agreement has been finalized that would satisfy both parties. Democrats have demanded an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at the...