Senate Votes to Reopen Government Amid Criticism from Own Party
In a surprise move, the US Senate has approved a bill to end the longest government shutdown in history, sending it to the House for consideration. The 60-40 vote broke the stalemate that lasted over six weeks, with five moderate Democrats switching their votes after weeks of negotiations.
The deal was brokered by a small group of bipartisan senators, including three former governors and one Democrat from Virginia. They agreed to advance three annual spending bills and extend government funding until late January, in exchange for Republicans' promise to hold a vote on extending health care subsidies by mid-December.
Despite the agreement, not all Democrats were pleased with the outcome. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the vote "a mistake," saying that it would allow Republicans to "screw over" millions of Americans who rely on health care subsidies.
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to move forward with the bill, citing the need to reopen the government and address the growing concerns about food aid delays and unpaid federal workers. Johnson warned that further travel delays could hinder the legislative process.
The passage of the bill brings the shutdown closer to an end, but it's unclear whether Democrats and Republicans can find common ground on health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. Some Republicans have expressed openness to extending the tax credits with changes, while others call for scrapping or overhauling the Affordable Care Act.
The Senate has already voted along party lines not to extend subsidies for another year, which could set the stage for further negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. As lawmakers return to Washington, they will face a pressing decision on how to address the health care debate ahead.
President Donald Trump's comments on the bill were supportive, saying that "we're going to be opening up our country very quickly." However, it remains to be seen whether the House will pass the bill and send it to Trump for signature.
In a surprise move, the US Senate has approved a bill to end the longest government shutdown in history, sending it to the House for consideration. The 60-40 vote broke the stalemate that lasted over six weeks, with five moderate Democrats switching their votes after weeks of negotiations.
The deal was brokered by a small group of bipartisan senators, including three former governors and one Democrat from Virginia. They agreed to advance three annual spending bills and extend government funding until late January, in exchange for Republicans' promise to hold a vote on extending health care subsidies by mid-December.
Despite the agreement, not all Democrats were pleased with the outcome. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the vote "a mistake," saying that it would allow Republicans to "screw over" millions of Americans who rely on health care subsidies.
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to move forward with the bill, citing the need to reopen the government and address the growing concerns about food aid delays and unpaid federal workers. Johnson warned that further travel delays could hinder the legislative process.
The passage of the bill brings the shutdown closer to an end, but it's unclear whether Democrats and Republicans can find common ground on health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. Some Republicans have expressed openness to extending the tax credits with changes, while others call for scrapping or overhauling the Affordable Care Act.
The Senate has already voted along party lines not to extend subsidies for another year, which could set the stage for further negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. As lawmakers return to Washington, they will face a pressing decision on how to address the health care debate ahead.
President Donald Trump's comments on the bill were supportive, saying that "we're going to be opening up our country very quickly." However, it remains to be seen whether the House will pass the bill and send it to Trump for signature.
so theres this huge gov shutdown 4eva in the us & its been goin on 4 like watever 6 weeks now lol meanwhile senate just voted 2 reopen it & its headed 2 the house 
i feel bad 4 the ppl who r gettin affected by it tho especially dem whos relyin on health care subsidies 
so democrats arnt happy bout it cuz Schumer said its a mistake 
but u know how it is w/ bipartisanship & all that jazz 
anywayz i guess we'll c what happens nxt 
. its been like 6 weeks of shutdown & now its down to the last minute. Schumer's callin out dem for bein all selfish 
idk whats up w/ republicans tho - they're all over the place on this health care subsidies thing 
btw i'm kinda glad trump is supporting it tho, even if its not 100% clear w/ him 
. On one hand, a government shutdown is pretty messed up and it's good that they're finding a way to reopen it ASAP 
. But on the other hand, this whole thing feels like a temporary fix 
. I guess it's better than nothing, but I'm still skeptical 
. There are so many other important issues to tackle and not enough people getting paid 
. I hope they're able to find some middle ground on that health care stuff before it's too late 
.
... But isn't it weird that five moderate Democrats just suddenly changed their minds after weeks of negotiations? Did they get cold feet or something? 
it's been so stressful watching all those furloughed workers struggle to make ends meet 
and not knowing when they'd get paid 
. I just hope the house passes the bill and it gets signed into law soon 
. it's crazy to think about how long this has been going on 6 weeks is a looong time 
. Food aid delays and unpaid federal workers? That's some serious stuff right there 
.