When will the government shutdown end — and what will the path to reopening look like?

WASHINGTON — With a handful of Senate Democrats helping advance a funding bill Sunday night, the federal government appears on track to reopen later this week, though a few hurdles remain before the legislation passes both chambers of Congress and heads to President Trump’s desk.

Seven Senate Democrats and one Dem-aligned independent joined 52 Republicans to end debate on a measure that would keep the government funded until Jan. 30, 2026, and end the longest government shutdown in US history.

The bipartisan deal also fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, and benefits programs for veterans through Sept. 30, 2026. Congressional operations will also get fully funded.

The bill did not deliver Democrats one of the main concessions they had sought at the start of the shutdown: an extension of Obamacare subsidies that had been expanded under former President Joe Biden to lower health insurance premiums.

Once the Senate votes on final passage, which could happen as soon as Monday, only a bare majority of House Republicans will be needed to approve the bill before sending it to Trump.

“It appears to us this morning that our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Capitol Hill Monday, before urging all members of Congress to return “right now.”

“We look forward to the government reopening this week so Congress can get back to our regular, legislative session,” he said, thanking the eight senators who joined with the GOP Sunday night to break the filibuster.

“Shutting down the government never produces anything,” the Speaker added. “It never has.”

How long has the government been shut down?

Monday marked the 41st day of the shutdown, breaking the previous record of 35 days set between December 2018 and January 2019, during Trump’s first administration.

The House went into recess on Sept. 19 after narrowly approving legislation to fund the government through Nov. 21.

Senate Democrats refused to support the measure, forcing the shutdown on Oct. 1, and ultimately voted 14 times to block consideration of that bill before Sunday’s agreement.

Why is the shutdown still happening?

The shutdown dragged on after Senate Democrats refused to cave on their demands for renewed Obamacare tax credits, which were set to expire at the end of 2025.

Their intransigence resulted in missed paychecks for military service members and federal workers, the closure of offices or limiting of services to veterans and the lapse of funding for important food programs like SNAP starting Nov. 1.

Americans have also faced worsening air travel issues caused by staffing shortages among overworked air traffic controllers.

More than 2,700 flights were canceled and more than 10,000 flights were delayed this past Sunday, making it the worst day for passengers since the start of the shutdown.

The Teamsters, unions representing government employees and pilots, as well as the CEOs of major airlines had all been urging Senate Democrats in recent weeks to vote to reopen the government.

The growing pressure forced seven moderate Democrats and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) to agree to vote to advance the funding bill Sunday night — without getting anything more than a promise from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to hold a vote on extending the enhanced Obamacare tax credits.

Thune had already offered that vote more than three weeks ago, with no promise that it will pass the Senate or be considered by the House.

What is the process for ending the shutdown?

Congress must fund the government every fiscal year starting Oct. 1, though it has typically done so through either short-term continuing resolutions or massive, so-called “omnibus” packages — rather than through 12 separate appropriations bills.

In this case, both the Senate and the House will have to pass the stopgap bill funding most of the government until Jan. 30.

Both chambers will also have to pass three full-year funding bills for the legislative branch, military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

Once those are approved, Trump will sign the legislation and the government will reopen immediately.

Which Democrats voted with Republicans to end the shutdown?

Schumer whipped his caucus to oppose the House-passed stopgap funding bill successfully for 40 days, posting on X Sunday that Democrats had been “fighting for months to address America’s healthcare crisis.”

“For the millions who will lose coverage[.] For people with cancer who won’t get the care they need[.] For working families who can’t afford to pay $25K more a year for healthcare,” the Senate Democratic leader vowed, “We will keep fighting.”

All but three non-Republicans — Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — had joined him in voting against ending the shutdown.

But on the 15th vote, the trio was joined by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) — along with every Republican except Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — to break the 60-vote threshold for the filibuster, shutting down further debate and advancing the legislation for a final vote.

What happens next?

The Senate must now burn 30 hours of post-cloture debate time, which can only be waived if every senator agrees to do so.

Thune told reporters Monday that Paul would object to any attempt to hold an immediate vote on final passage, likely pushing that to Tuesday.

However, with the measure needing only a simple majority to pass the Senate, the 30-hour wait is likely to delay the inevitable.

One the bill passes the Senate, Johnson has said he will give his members 36 hours notice ahead of a House vote on final passage, which has to happen due to the changes made as a result of the bipartisan deal.

Currently, the House is not scheduled to meet again until noon Wednesday.

Once a simple majority passes it, the spending package will then be sent to the White House, where Trump is all but certain to sign it.

What happens once the government shutdown is over?

Schumer is already facing open revolt from members of his own party — despite opposing the stopgap bill himself — over the seven Democrats who folded Sunday night.

“Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) on X. “If @ChuckSchumer were an effective leader, he would have united his caucus to vote ‘No’ tonight and hold the line on healthcare.”

Even moderate Democrats have faced attacks from their own kin, making the funding fight perhaps the key wedge issue for the party ahead of the 2026 midterms.

“Improving health care has been the cause of my life. It’s why I am running for congress. So I cannot support this deal when Speaker Johnson refuses to even allow a vote to extend health care tax credits,” said New Hampshire Democratic House candidate Stefany Shaheen, whose mother Jeanne helped broker the deal.

Republicans will also haggle over whether to pass an Obamacare subsidies extension bill in the Senate — or even put it up for a vote in the House.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) promised Monday to “fight tooth and nail” to pass those enhanced tax credits, but he will face opposition from fiscal hawks in the House GOP conference.