UPDATE: The U.S. Senate is taking decisive steps toward a vote to end the historic federal shutdown, now entering its 40th day. A vote to advance a House-passed stopgap funding bill is expected as early as this evening, igniting hopes for a resolution that has evaded lawmakers for weeks.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that the funding measure will be amended to integrate a short-term funding resolution along with three full-year appropriations bills. This package must still pass in the House of Representatives and receive President Donald Trump’s signature, a process that could extend for several days.
As federal workers face mounting hardships and disruptions to essential services, the urgency of this vote cannot be overstated. The shutdown has adversely affected food aid, national parks, and even air travel, with potential staffing shortages threatening to derail travel plans for the approaching Thanksgiving holiday on November 27.
Senate Democrats are pushing back against the funding measure, advocating for amendments that would ensure the extension of expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Senator Richard Blumenthal stated he would oppose the current funding bill but acknowledged there might be enough Democratic support to pass it. “I am unwilling to accept a vague promise of a vote at some indeterminate time,” he remarked.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina emphasized that the impacts of the shutdown are driving the Senate toward a consensus. He indicated that the proposed resolution would extend government operations into late January and potentially reverse some of the mass layoffs of federal workers initiated by the Trump administration. “Temperatures cool, the atmospheric pressure increases outside, and all of a sudden it looks like things will come together,” Tillis noted.
The economic implications of a prolonged shutdown are dire. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that if air travel does not normalize by Thanksgiving, economic growth could turn negative in the fourth quarter.
As the Senate gears up for a potential vote, the eyes of the nation are on Washington. The outcome could significantly affect not only federal operations but also millions of Americans relying on essential services. Stay tuned for live updates as this developing story unfolds.
