Senators Near Deal to Reopen Government as Key Democrats Signal Support

Senators are closing in on a short-term agreement to reopen the government after the longest shutdown in U.S. history, with several Senate Democrats indicating they would back a plan if the White House grants a few final concessions. The emerging approach would pair a stopgap funding extension through January with a larger package to fully fund three appropriations bills. The proposal preserves a later Senate vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies but does not extend them now, and negotiators say timing of final votes remains uncertain.

Key Takeaways

• Senate negotiators are working on a deal that would temporarily fund the government through January while packaging longer-term appropriations into an amendment.
• The broader package would include three full-year bills for military construction and veterans affairs, the legislative branch, and the Department of Agriculture.
• The legislative-branch bill in the package would add $203.5 million for enhanced security and protection for members of Congress plus $852 million for the U.S. Capitol Police, per Sen. Patty Murray’s summary.
• The agreement does not extend the expiring enhanced ACA subsidies now but guarantees a future Senate vote; there is no assurance that an extension would become law.
• Some Democrats are willing to accept a standalone vote on ACA subsidies to prioritize ending the shutdown, acknowledging White House resistance to immediate extension.
• Democrats are pressing to reinstate federal employees who were fired during the shutdown; two sources indicated some reversals to reductions in force could occur.
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled the initial procedural vote could occur as soon as Sunday, though final timing is fluid.
• If the Senate passes the amended stopgap, the measure must return to the House and then to the President’s desk, which could take several days.

Background

The United States is experiencing its longest federal government shutdown in history, creating mounting pressure on lawmakers to reach a resolution. The standoff centers on competing priorities: Democrats seeking protections and benefits such as enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and reinstatement of federal workers, and the White House insisting on hardline conditions that constrain immediate concessions. The procedural route under discussion—taking up a House-passed stopgap in the Senate and then amending it with broader spending language—reflects long-standing congressional practice for combining short-term funding with negotiated appropriations. Key appropriators from both parties, including Sen. Patty Murray as the top Democratic appropriator for the legislative branch bill, have been central to crafting the package.

The three appropriations targeted for full-year funding in the negotiated package cover areas with bipartisan interest and pressing obligations: military construction and veterans affairs, the legislative branch, and the Department of Agriculture. Funding for Capitol security became a focal point after recent threats and operational strains, prompting specific new allocations. Political dynamics complicate progress: while some Senate Democrats are signaling flexibility to end the shutdown, the White House’s opposition to extending ACA subsidies has limited the scope of any bipartisan agreement. The result is a tight sequence of votes and bargaining that will determine whether federal agencies resume normal operations.

Main Event

Negotiators presented an outline in which the immediate step is a stopgap measure to keep the government funded until January, enabling negotiators to insert a negotiated, larger funding package as an amendment. That larger package would carry the three full-year appropriations described above and include targeted security funding for Congress and the Capitol Police—figures drawn from a summary circulated by Sen. Patty Murray. Several Senate Democrats told colleagues they would back the procedural step if the White House agreed to a small set of final concessions, according to a person involved in the talks.

Republican leaders have signaled willingness to proceed quickly: Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated the initial vote to take up the House bill could happen as soon as Sunday, though he cautioned the calendar depends on ongoing negotiations. For the take-up vote to succeed, at least eight Democrats must support considering the House stopgap. After successful take-up, the Senate would debate and vote on amending that measure with the broader funding package negotiated by leaders on both sides.

Democrats pressed two principal demands in the late-stage talks: a commitment to revisit enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies through a recorded Senate vote at a later date, and steps to address employment actions taken during the shutdown. The White House has resisted immediate extension of ACA subsidies, prompting some Democrats to accept a promise of a future vote rather than an immediate legislative fix. Multiple sources familiar with the talks said there could be reversals of some reductions in force, but specifics remain under negotiation.

Analysis & Implications

Accepting a short-term reopening in exchange for a later vote on ACA subsidies is a tactical compromise that reflects urgency among Democrats to restore federal services and paychecks. Politically, it signals that some Democrats prioritize immediate relief to federal operations and constituents over securing a binding policy win on health subsidies. Legally and procedurally, a standalone vote does not change law; a later roll-call would require separate agreement or majority support to enact any ACA extension into law.

Operationally, the funding for Capitol security—$203.5 million for member protection plus $852 million for the U.S. Capitol Police—addresses acute needs after prolonged staffing and resource strains. For lawmakers, those figures may bolster support across the aisle by linking security imperatives to a funding resolution. For veterans, military construction, and agricultural programs, full-year appropriations would provide program stability that an extended stopgap would not, reducing uncertainty for agencies and beneficiaries.

However, the deal’s durability depends on several fragile elements: whether the promised later vote on ACA subsidies gains traction, exact remedies for federal employees who lost their jobs, and whether House passage is achievable once the Senate acts. If the White House maintains its hardline stance on subsidies, Democrats face the risk that their concession—accepting only a future vote—yields no legislative change. The sequence also creates opportunities for renewed brinkmanship in the House or presidential veto threats if language diverges from leadership expectations.

Comparison & Data

The table highlights the three appropriations bills slated for full-year funding in the negotiated package and calls out the explicit security sums for the legislative branch. While the summary circulated by Sen. Patty Murray specifies the security allocations, total dollar figures for the other bills were not detailed in the summary available to reporters. The stopgap would bridge funding through January, giving negotiators time to finalize line-item totals and reconcile differences with House leaders.

Reactions & Quotes

Senate leaders framed the move as pragmatic and urgent as negotiations reached a late stage.

An initial procedural vote could take place as soon as Sunday, depending on the final language.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R)

Top Democratic appropriators emphasized the package’s security and operational priorities while acknowledging unresolved policy disputes.

The legislative-branch summary includes focused increases for member protection and Capitol Police to address clear security needs.

Sen. Patty Murray (D), top Democratic appropriator

An anonymous participant in the talks characterized the compromise dynamic driving several Democrats’ willingness to move.

Several Democrats are prepared to back a short-term reopening if they secure a few final concessions from the White House.

Person involved in negotiations (anonymous)

Unconfirmed

• Whether specific fired federal workers will be reinstated remains unresolved and details on the scope of any reversals are not yet confirmed.
• The timing and outcome of any future Senate vote on extending enhanced ACA subsidies are not guaranteed and may not result in law.
• Reports of reversals to reductions in force are preliminary and lack full documentation across agencies.
• The exact schedule for the votes and the final contents of the funding amendment are still subject to change as negotiations continue.

Bottom Line

The emerging compromise reflects a calculated choice by some Senate Democrats to prioritize reopening federal operations over winning immediate policy victories on the ACA. By trading an immediate subsidy extension for a guaranteed future vote, Democrats aim to end economic and service disruptions caused by the shutdown while preserving a path to continue the subsidies debate.

Even if the Senate advances the amended stopgap, the agreement’s success hinges on House concurrence and whether promised follow-up actions produce tangible policy outcomes. Observers should watch whether the later ACA vote gains sufficient support and whether any employment reversals for furloughed or fired federal workers are implemented; both will determine whether the deal delivers durable relief or merely a temporary pause in the crisis.

Sources

• CNN — News reporting (source of initial reporting and summary of negotiations)