The Senate is moving toward a potential breakthrough to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, with at least 10 Democratic senators indicating they’ll support advancing a spending package during a rare Sunday session.
According to Axios, multiple sources from both parties confirmed that enough Democrats are prepared to advance the legislation, marking the most significant movement toward ending the shutdown since it began Oct. 1. And according to CBS News, the Senate convened at 1:30 p.m. Sunday for the rare weekend session, though no votes were scheduled as of Sunday morning.
The emerging deal would include full-year funding bills for three major areas: Veterans Affairs and military construction, Agriculture programs including food assistance, and legislative branch operations. All other government functions would receive funding through Jan. 30.
What’s in the Package
The package splits the difference between Republican and Democratic demands that've stalled the Senate for more than a month. Republicans wanted to reopen now without touching health care. Democrats demanded action on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Here's what Democrats get: a promised vote in December on extending health insurance tax credits that expire in January. The subsidies help millions of Americans afford coverage through ACA marketplaces. But the deal doesn't guarantee the extension passes or that President Trump signs it.
Also now in play, according to Punchbowl News, is language to undo the mass federal layoffs that began under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
NEWS -- THE FUNDING BILL is set to include language to REVERSE the mass federal layoffs since Oct. 1 -- the beginning of the shutdown.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 9, 2025
from me @AndrewDesiderio @bresreports
As always, @PunchbowlNews text subscribers got it first.
Text of the three full-year funding bills began appearing Sunday afternoon on the Senate Appropriations Committee website. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill totals hundreds of billions in spending for fiscal year 2026.
The agriculture funding portion would address immediate concerns about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Trump administration has been directed by federal courts to issue partial November payments after attempting to withhold food assistance during the shutdown, but full restoration of the program requires Congressional action.
Previous Votes and Changing Dynamics
The Senate has voted 14 times on the House-passed measure to fund the government through Nov. 21. Each time, it has failed to hit the 60-vote threshold needed to move legislation forward. Only three Democrats have backed the Republican bill in those votes: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and independent Angus King of Maine.
Tuesday’s elections appear to have shifted the math for some senators. President Trump told Senate Republicans at a White House breakfast on Wednesday that he thought the shutdown was a “big factor, negative” for Republicans in the elections.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Saturday the Senate would vote at some point on the new package combining short-term and full-year funding. He didn’t confirm a Sunday vote but told senators to expect to work through the weekend.
How the Vote Will Work
The Senate could vote as soon as Sunday evening on a motion to reconsider the House-passed continuing resolution. That’s just the vehicle. It needs 60 votes.
If the motion passes, the new continuing resolution extending government funding through Jan. 30, plus the three full-year spending bills, would get substituted as the final product. But without a time agreement, the process could drag on for several days.
Here’s the split: A majority of the Senate Democratic caucus is expected to oppose the deal to reopen the government, even though enough Democrats support it to hit the 60-vote threshold. Democrats have to decide whether to drag out the process through procedural delays when passage looks inevitable. Any individual senator can slow things down.
What Could Still Go Wrong
Even with enough Democratic votes to pass, the deal faces pushback. Some progressive Democrats don’t want to vote for any package without guaranteed health care subsidy extensions. They say a promise of a future vote means nothing if President Trump opposes the extension. However, a senior official with the White House has signaled that the president is on board with the current plan.
🚨W.H. SUPPORTS THE SENATE FUNDING FRAMEWORK:
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 9, 2025
Sr W.H. official: "The President has wanted the government open since day one. This appears to be a good way to accomplish that goal."
For Democrats, however, there is still hesitation due largely to politics.
“I think voters would rightly see it as a surrender,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said before his party’s lunch meeting Thursday, adding that Tuesday’s elections and constituent messages have signaled to Democrats that “health care matters.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the Trump administration Saturday for fighting in court to avoid paying full SNAP benefits and for flight reductions that’ve disrupted travel nationwide. He called the administration’s approach “pathological levels of vindictiveness.”
Republicans say Democrats are dragging out the pain by blocking bills that would immediately pay working federal employees and reopen vital services.
Final Passage and Next Steps
Once the Senate passes the package, the House needs to approve it before it can reach President Trump’s desk. The House has been in recess since passing its continuing resolution in September. Members would need to return to Washington for a vote.
Senate Republican leaders have shot down President Trump’s call to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster threshold to end the shutdown. Thune and other GOP leaders say they don’t have the votes within their caucus to change Senate rules.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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