Today's News: Senate Passes Bipartisan Deal to End Government Shutdown Without Guaranteed ACA Subsidies

The measure passed 60-40, primarily due to eight Democratic senators and one independent breaking ranks with their party to join Republicans.

Terrence Dorsey

Nov 11, 2025

Photo: Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg

Date: November 10, 2025
Summary: The U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan funding package on November 10, 2025, to end the longest government shutdown in history, which had lasted 41 days. The measure passed 60-40, primarily due to eight Democratic senators and one independent breaking ranks with their party to join Republicans. While the deal reopens the federal government, restores critical services, and guarantees back pay for federal workers, it notably omits an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, a key Democratic demand. The compromise includes a promise for a future Senate vote on ACA funding but offers no guarantee of its passage, particularly in the House, which is expected to vote on the package later in the week. The agreement has sparked significant internal Democratic backlash against both the senators who supported it and the party’s leadership.

Sources

Key Points

Senate Vote and Bipartisan Support: All articles confirm the Senate passed the funding measure by a 60-40 vote. This majority was achieved with eight Democratic senators and one independent senator caucusing with Democrats joining nearly all Republicans. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to vote against the measure.
Government Reopening and Funding: The legislation aims to end the longest U.S. government shutdown, which lasted 41 days. It includes a “minibus” package combining three full-year appropriations bills for specific agencies (such as Agriculture, military construction, and the legislative branch) and a stopgap funding bill for the rest of the government through January 30.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Subsidies Omission: A central theme across all articles is the absence of an extension for expiring ACA subsidies in the passed bill. This was a major concession by Democrats, as securing these subsidies was their primary demand throughout the shutdown.
Promise of Future ACA Vote: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) promised a vote on an ACA funding bill by the second week of December. However, there is no guarantee that such a measure will garner the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate or advance in the House.
Impact on Federal Workers and Services: The deal is expected to restore critical services, provide pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and ensure retroactive pay for those furloughed. It also includes provisions to reverse layoffs of federal workers initiated during the shutdown.
House Action Expected: The measure now heads to the House of Representatives, which has been out of session for an extended period. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) expressed confidence in its passage, with a vote anticipated as early as Wednesday, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law.
Democratic Internal Rift: The agreement has caused significant anger and division within the Democratic party. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) opposed the deal, while many progressive groups and lawmakers expressed fury at the eight Democrats who broke ranks and called for a leadership shake-up.

Unique Highlights

CNN identifies the eight specific lawmakers who crossed the aisle as Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Jeanne Shaheen, Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman, Jacky Rosen, and Independent Sen. Angus King. It also notes that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer drew fury from the party’s left for allowing those centrists to strike the deal.
NBC News specifies that the “minibus” contains three full-year appropriations bills and full funding of SNAP benefits through the end of next September. It also mentions Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wis.) amendment to extend ACA funds for one year was rejected by all 53 Senate Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s conference call with House Republicans outlined a timetable for votes and his plan to swear in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva before the House votes on the Senate deal.
NBC News also details the progressive backlash, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) calling for Schumer to be replaced and various progressive groups like Indivisible, Our Revolution, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee demanding Schumer’s resignation. It quotes Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) stating that “giving in now will embolden [Trump].” The article notes that Senators Shaheen and Durbin are retiring at the end of the current term, potentially freeing them from political pressure, and highlights Stefany Shaheen’s public opposition to her mother, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s, role in the deal.
The Washington Post mentions the bill would reverse more than 4,000 federal layoffs the Trump administration attempted to implement. It highlights the shutdown’s specific impacts, such as cascading airline delays and late SNAP payments, and quotes House Speaker Johnson’s prior statement, “not promising anybody anything,” regarding a vote on ACA subsidies. It also lists Reps. Ro Khanna (California), Seth Moulton (Massachusetts), Delia C. Ramirez (Illinois), Shri Thanedar (Michigan), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), and Mike Levin (California) as House Democrats who called for Schumer to step down.
The Wall Street Journal clarifies that the Sunday procedural vote required 60 votes to advance the measure under Senate filibuster rules, while the final Monday night vote only required a simple majority. It states that the full-year funding is for the Agriculture Department, military construction, and the legislative branch. The article also notes the House’s return to Washington after more than 50 days out of session, with its last vote on September 19.
Fox News includes a quote from Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) expressing unity behind the bill. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) specifically cited protections for federal employees as what got him “over the line” to support the package. House Speaker Johnson signaled the House would not move to fast-track the legislation via suspension of the rules, which bypasses procedural hurdles but raises the passage threshold.
The New York Times details a provision tucked into the legislative branch funding that would create a legal avenue for Republican senators whose phone records were seized during Jack Smith’s January 6, 2021, investigation to sue the government for at least $500,000 each, retroactive to 2022. It lists the eight specific Republican senators involved: Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, Bill Hagerty, Josh Hawley, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson, and Cynthia Lummis. The article also notes a failed Democratic effort to add a provision to bar “pocket rescissions” and a bipartisan rejection of Sen. Rand Paul’s effort to remove language banning intoxicating hemp-derived products. It mentions the Senate rejected a House Republican bid to hobble the Government Accountability Office (GAO) by keeping its funding flat and removing a provision to bar it from suing the White House.

Contrasting Details

Democratic Unity vs. Division: While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) publicly opposed the deal, arguing it failed to address the healthcare crisis, eight Democratic senators and one independent broke ranks to support it. The New York Times and NBC News highlight the “bitter backlash” and “fury” from many Democrats against these senators and the party’s leadership for failing to secure ACA subsidies.
Justification for Breaking Ranks: The eight Democratic senators who supported the deal offered differing primary justifications. Fox News reports Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) emphasizing that protections for federal employees were what got him “over the line.” In contrast, NBC News quotes Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) stating, “This was the only deal on the table,” and their “best chance to reopen the government and immediately begin negotiations.” The New York Times also quotes Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) suggesting the shutdown was causing harm and their chances for ACA funding were “maybe 50%” with the deal, compared to “zero” without it.
House Stance on ACA Vote: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) explicitly promised a vote on ACA subsidies by the second week of December, as reported by NBC News and Fox News. However, The Washington Post notes that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) did not commit to holding a vote on the issue if it passed the Senate, having previously said he was “not promising anybody anything.” This indicates a potential discrepancy in the commitment to address ACA beyond the Senate.
House Democratic Leadership on the Bill: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) stated that House Democrats are “focused on dealing with the bill that’s coming over from the Senate… and we’re going to fight hard to defeat it,” according to NBC News. This contrasts with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s confidence, as reported by The Wall Street Journal and Fox News, that the House would be able to pass the Senate’s government funding package.

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