By Eric Mack | Wednesday, 05 November 2025 09:15 AM EST
A bipartisan group of senators is working to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, proposing a plan to secure Democratic support for extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, according to reports. The deal under discussion would pass three appropriations bills to fund agencies for a full year and temporarily reopen the rest of the government, as reported by The Washington Post.
In exchange, Senate Republicans would agree to a future vote on preserving subsidies that Democrats seek to protect, sources told the outlet. Around 12 moderate Democrats are considering defying party lines to back the agreement, with Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., expressing optimism about the negotiations. “Everything’s on the table,” Peters said, noting increased discussion during a three-hour caucus meeting Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., requires at least eight Democratic votes to pass the House continuing resolution and three appropriations bills, as Republicans hold 53 Senate seats compared to Democrats’ 45 plus two independents. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., emphasized that lawmakers are eager for a viable path forward beyond a simple up-or-down vote. However, Thune has secured only three Democratic supporters so far, while Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., remains the sole GOP member voting with Democrats to sustain the shutdown.
Only three Democrats—Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and John Fetterman, D-Pa.—have voted to reopen the government. The shutdown, now in its fifth week since funding expired Oct. 1, has left over a million federal workers furloughed or unpaid. Despite the economic strain, progressive lawmakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., warned against concessions without guaranteed healthcare protections, calling any compromise a betrayal of working families.
