Key Points
- The Senate has advanced a bill to end the government shutdown, and President Trump has voiced his support.
- The bill would fund the government until January 30 and provide back pay for federal workers.
- The economic impact of the shutdown continues, with thousands of flight cancellations.
- The deal includes a future vote on healthcare, but this has drawn criticism from some Democrats. The status of food stamps (SNAP) benefits remains in limbo.
The Senate released and quickly advanced a new bill on Sunday to end the government shutdown, offering the clearest sign yet that the record-breaking stoppage might soon be over. President Trump backed the measure on Monday afternoon, making it likely the bill could reach his desk within days.
“We have support from enough Democrats, and we’re going to be opening up our country,” Trump told reporters.
The Senate could vote as early as Monday to give the package final approval. It would then move to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson has said he “thinks” he has enough votes to pass it. The House has been out of session since mid-September, but Johnson told his colleagues on Monday that they “need to begin right now in returning to the hill.” The House could start considering the bill as soon as Wednesday.
The economic fallout from the shutdown continues to grow, with thousands of flights already canceled for Monday and Tuesday. Trump expressed his frustration earlier on Monday with air traffic controllers who have been taking time off without receiving paychecks. He wrote that if they don’t return to work immediately, they “will be substantially ‘docked.'”
The bill to end the shutdown would provide back pay for these air traffic controllers and would keep the government open until January 30 of next year. It would also fund some federal programs, like the Agriculture and Veterans Affairs departments, for the entire year. It would limit Trump’s ability to fire federal workers for the next few months.
This bill is part of a larger agreement that includes a promise from Senate Majority Leader John Thune to hold a separate vote on healthcare before the end of the year. While Democratic negotiators claim this deal gives their party “control” over the healthcare bill, the lack of an immediate vote has drawn criticism from many on the left.
Food stamp benefits also remain uncertain for the week, as the Trump administration has told states that started issuing SNAP benefits over the weekend to “undo” their efforts.
