As many as 10 Democratic senators are expected to vote for a bill to reopen the government as soon as Sunday evening or early Monday morning, as a group of moderate Democrats, and even some liberals, are ready to end the 40-day shutdown.
Centrist Democrats and Republican members of the Senate Appropriations Committee were close to reaching a deal last week to reopen the government, but it was delayed by strong pushback from Senate progressives who urged their Democratic colleagues to hold out for a bigger concession on extending enhanced health insurance premium subsidies.
Centrist Democrats such as Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Maggie Hassan (N.H.) wanted to put an end to the shutdown after funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits expired on Nov. 1 and traffic problems at airports around the country grew increasingly dire.
Sens. Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Jon Ossoff (Ga.), Gary Peters (Mich.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.) were among the Democrats who participated in secretive negotiations to end the shutdown and are considered possible “yes” votes for the deal.
Axios first reported early Sunday afternoon that 10 Senate Democrats are expected to vote for the deal.
Senate sources familiar with the negotiation caution that details are still being worked out, but the tentative plan is to vote to advance a government funding measure a few hours after the text is released.
Senate aides said a vote could happen around “dinner time” on a motion to proceed to the House-passed continuing resolution, which Senate Democrats have already blocked 14 times.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters that he plans to offer the Senate deal to fund the government until late January if at least eight Democrats agree to “get on” the House bill.
A Republican source familiar with the negotiations told The Hill that at least 10 Democrats are now expected to vote to let the House bill advance so it can be amended with the substitute legislation.
“I feel good,” said the GOP source.
Thune has agreed to give Senate colleagues “five or six hours” to study the bill before holding the vote, according to the source.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) shared the text of the military construction and veterans affairs portion of the minibus with Senate offices early Sunday afternoon.
The proposal would include a minibus appropriations package consisting of three bills to fund military construction, veterans affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch through fiscal 2026.
It would combine the minibus with a continuing resolution to fund the rest of the federal government through Jan. 30, which is a Friday.
The legislation will address the Trump administration’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal employees during the shutdown through reductions in force.
