Senate advances funding bill to end longest US government shutdown in history

"The Senate on Sunday made significant progress towards ending the longest US government shutdown in history, narrowly advancing a compromise bill to reauthorize funding and undo the layoffs of some employees. But the measure, which resulted from days of talks between a handful of Democratic and Republican senators, leaves out the healthcare subsidies that Democrats had demanded for weeks. Most Democratic senators rejected it,"

"as did many of the party's lawmakers in the House of Representatives, which will have to vote to approve it before the government can reopen. This healthcare crisis is so severe, so urgent, so devastating for families back home, that I cannot in good faith support this [resolution] that fails to address the healthcare crisis, said Democratic Senator majority leader Chuck Schumer."

"In the 40 days since the shutdown began when the government's funding authorization expired on 1 October, the Senate's Republican leader John Thune held 14 votes on a bill approved on a near party line vote by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which would have extended funding through most of November. But no more than three Democrats ever voted in the affirmative, denying it the support it needed to proceed."

The Senate narrowly advanced a bipartisan compromise to reauthorize government funding and reverse some employee layoffs. The measure emerged from days of negotiations among a small group of Democratic and Republican senators but excluded expiring healthcare premium subsidies Democrats had demanded. The bill received the 60 votes needed in the Senate, with almost all Republicans and eight Democrats supporting it. Most Senate Democrats and many House Democrats rejected the compromise, and the House must approve the measure before the government can reopen. Republicans controlling the White House and Congress made clear that they would not extend beyond this offer. Previous attempts to pass other short-term funding bills repeatedly failed to gain sufficient Democratic support.

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