WASHINGTON — The Senate took a first big step Sunday night toward ending the longest-ever U.S. government shutdown amid mounting pressure for Congress to act as Americans cope with halted food stamps and canceled flights weeks before the holidays.

On Day 40 of the shutdown, the Senate voted 60-40 to advance a deal to reopen the government after a group of eight Senate Democrats relented from policy demands and broke from their party ranks to strike an an agreement with congressional Republicans.

The action puts the shutdown on track to potentially end this week, but a final vote is still required by the Senate and then the House before the continuing resolution heads to President Donald Trump's desk.

The deal negotiated by Republican leaders and the eight Democrats reverses federal layoffs, promises a vote in the future on expiring Obamacare subsidies, and fully reopens the government through Jan. 30.

It appears to be a turning point toward the end of the monthlong political crisis that has left millions of Americans unable to travel, afford food, or send their kids to preschool (among many other rapidly mounting consequences).

Yet drawing criticism from many Democrats inside and outside of Congress, the agreement does not guarantee the extension of the health care subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year and send health care premiums skyrocketing.

For weeks, Senate Democrats had stayed mostly unified and held off supporting a Republican-backed to reopen the government unless it also extended the subsidies.

But the group of Democratic defectors ‒ which include four former governors and mostly moderates ‒ argued it was time to end the shutdown after Republicans agreed to hold a vote on the Obamacare subsidies in December.

No further Senate votes expected tonight

No additional votes in the Senate are expected Sunday night. The chamber could send its funding package to end the shutdown over to the House of Representatives as soon as Monday (if not then, certainly in the coming days).

After voting late into the evening, lawmakers started departing the Capitol before the Senate recessed until 11 a.m. Monday.

Democrats break with party to advance spending bill

Senators late Sunday night cleared a procedural hurdle to begin the process of ending the shutdown.

Along with most other Republicans, seven Democrats and one independent senator (Maine's Angus King, who caucuses with the Democrats) voted to move toward advancing a funding agreement that could reopen the government as soon as this week.

The other Democrats who broke with their party were Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Tim Kaine of Virginia and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, voted against the measure.

10K+ flights delayed on third day of government-mandated cuts

Sunday’s flight cancelations and delays were the single worst day for flight disruptions since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1.

Earlier in the day, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that air travel will only continue to get worse as airlines dealt with a third day of government-mandated flight cuts and air traffic control staffing shortages.

The FAA is 1,000 to 2,000 controllers short of full staffing, Duffy told CNN. The Federal Aviation Administration previously said it had staffing issues at 12 towers.

By late Sunday night, more than 10,000 flights within, into, or out of the United States had been delayed, according to FlightAware. Over 2,800 flights were canceled for the day. - Thao Nguyen

Democrat vs. Democrat on ACA subsidies

The eight Democratic defectors who joined Republicans to try to reopen the government are facing widespread criticism from within their party for supporting a deal that does not guarantee the extension of expiring health care subsidies.

New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, who was one of Democrats’ biggest winners during last week’s off-year elections, accused her Democratic colleagues in the Senate of “caving on a bill that the American people can’t afford.”

“Make no mistake, if this bill passes, it will lead to New Jerseyans paying far more for their healthcare, when they are already paying more and more for everything,” said Sherrill, who is currently a fourth-term New Jersey congresswoman. “Making this deal is malpractice.”

For weeks, Democrats have refused to reopen the government unless legislation also included the extension of subsides in the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year and send premiums skyrocketing for millions of Americans.

But the deal reached with Republicans only ensures a vote later on extending the subsidies.

“Pathetic,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in a one-word post on X.

Several Democratic candidates for Senate in 2026 expressed their disapproval as well. “This moment demands fighters, not folders,” said James Talarico, a Democratic state representative in Texas who is running for U.S. Senate.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, attacked the leadership of Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer as he voiced his frustration – even though Schumer voted against the deal.

“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” Khanna said in a post on X. “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, in a statement, said he wants “nothing more than to reopen the government, get folks back to work, and end the needless hardship this Republican shutdown is causing.”

But he added: “I cannot support a deal that still leaves millions of Americans wondering how they are going to pay for their health care or whether they will be able to afford to get sick.”

By opposing the deal, Warner broke from his Virginia colleague in the Senate, Sen. Tim Kaine, who is among the eight Democratic defectors. - Joey Garrison

Key dates to watch

  • This week: Proposals to reopen the government will start to work their way through both chambers of Congress.
  • Thanksgiving: Congressional leaders have indicated the shutdown will be over by the holiday. Sunday's agreement made that assertion much more likely.
  • Second week of December: The Senate will hold a vote on extending expiring Obamacare subsidies. It's unclear if such a measure would pass.
  • Jan. 30: The short-term funding measure lawmakers plan to pass this week would turn the government's lights back on until Jan. 30. If more full-year appropriations bills aren't passed by then, the government could shut down again, though only partially.

What happens next?

Now that some Democrats have signaled new support for reopening the government, Congress has to clear a number of procedural hurdles.

When the new funding deal passes the Senate, which could take several days, the bills will then have to pass the House of Representatives, which hasn't taken a vote in weeks. Lawmakers in the House have been on a 48-hour return notice, so it would likely take several days (barring any travel issues lawmakers might experience) for them to pass any Senate bills.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, indicated last week he didn't think the shutdown would last past Thanksgiving.

What's in the deal?

The agreed-to deal would reopen the government until Jan. 30. It would also include full-year funding for several agencies and programs, including food aid and veterans' benefits. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would continue through September at higher levels.

Another component of the agreement includes a commitment to a vote in the second week of December on a bill to potentially extend expiring Obamacare subsidies. The tax credits, which millions of Americans rely on for help paying premiums, have been the issue at the center of the shutdown fight.

In addition, the deal will reverse the layoffs of thousands of federal workers, while barring any potential firings until Jan. 30. The terminations have been temporarily barred by a federal court.

Shutdown pain has been growing

Pain connected to the shutdown has been steadily intensifying in recent weeks and days. Even Abigail Spanberger, the governor-elect in Virginia who swept to victory last week, said that her win shouldn't be viewed as an excuse to prolong the shutdown.

"Virginians need to – and Virginians want to – see the government reopen," she said Sunday on "Face the Nation" on CBS.

On Nov. 7, thousands of federal workers missed another paycheck. Hours later, the Supreme Court said the Trump administration didn't have to promptly pay full food assistance benefits.

Then, on Nov. 9, thousands of flights were canceled or delayed. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that unless the government reopens soon, flights could be reduced to a "trickle" ahead of Thanksgiving.

Asked on CNN how many Americans could be separated from their families over the holiday due to air travel issues, Duffy said that "the number's going to be substantial."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate takes a first big step to end government shutdown

Reporting by Zachary Schermele and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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