After more than five weeks of gridlock, Senate Democrats on Sunday indicated they are ready to advance a bipartisan package that could finally end the record-long government shutdown, according to multiple congressional sources.
At least 10 Democrat senators are expected to join Republicans in supporting a procedural motion to move forward on a bundle of spending bills and a short-term funding measure that would reopen the government through January, sources told Axios.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has kept the chamber in session through the weekend, signaling optimism that both sides might be ready to strike a deal. A vote was planned for Sunday, The Hill reported.
“A deal is coming together,” Thune said as he walked in to open the chamber.
He warned, however, that it was not a done deal. Senators insisted on time to read over the proposals, and it could be hours before there was any action.
“We’ll see where the votes are,” Thune said.
The proposal marks the first significant movement toward a deal in more than a month of stalled negotiations between congressional leaders and the Trump administration.
The tentative agreement would guarantee a December vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, one of Democrats’ key demands, while providing some relief measures for federal workers affected by the shutdown.
Lawmakers were expected to release the text of the appropriations package later Sunday.
While details remain fluid, Senate sources said the framework reflects progress toward breaking the impasse that has shuttered federal agencies, disrupted food aid, and caused travel delays nationwide.
Lawmakers from both parties have been asked to remain in Washington through the weekend as the Senate prepares for a crucial procedural vote.
“The negotiations are finally moving in the right direction,” one senior GOP aide said. “Everyone understands the pressure to get this done.”
Now on day 40, the shutdown began after Democrats refused to pass a Republican funding bill without a one-year extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies — a demand rejected by Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump, who called instead for redirecting funds directly to consumers through health savings accounts.
The emerging Senate package appears designed to bridge that divide by separating the immediate funding issue from the longer-term health care debate.
“We’re at the point where something has to give,” one Senate Democrat said Sunday. “We’re not there yet, but this could be the start of a real breakthrough.”
If the proposal gains traction, a final vote could come as early as Monday, potentially reopening the federal government before Thanksgiving.
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