Breaking News. The U.S. Senate reached a bipartisan deal Sunday to end the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history, a 40-day standoff that shuttered federal agencies, furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers, halted SNAP benefits for millions and highly disrupted air traffic throughout the United States.
Sunday night's vote was a procedurial vote that allows the bill to move forward. The deal came late Sunday after seven Senate Democrats and one Indedpendent voted with Republicans in a procedural vote to move the deal forward. Sens. Angus King (I-ME), John Fetterman (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) voted in favor of the continuing resolution (CR) following the bipartisan deal.
The measure now heads to the House of Representatives, where its fate remains uncertain. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has not said when or if the chamber will vote on the Senate package. The House has been in recess for the past seven weeks and its members must return to the nation's capital to vote.
The agreement would immediately reopen shuttered agencies through a combination of a short-term funding bill and three full-year appropriations measures. The stopgap bill would keep the rest of the government operating through late January while lawmakers continue negotiations over longer-term spending priorities.
Under the plan, federal employees would receive back pay for the weeks they went without paychecks, and departments would be barred from additional layoffs through the end of the year. Essential programs, including food assistance and veterans’ services, would resume operations within days of the president signing the measure.
The deal also postpones a decision on extending health-insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Senators agreed to hold a separate vote on that issue in December.
“This shutdown has gone on far too long. The time to act is now,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who endorsed the plan alongside a bipartisan group that included Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, (D-NH), Maggie Hassan, (D-NH), and Angus King, (I-ME). But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), criticized the agreement, calling it “unacceptable” because it fails to guarantee immediate relief for those who lost subsidized health coverage during the shutdown.
The shutdown began Oct. 1 after Congress failed to reach a deal to fund the government. About 900,000 federal employees were furloughed or worked without pay, and key services — from airport safety inspections to food-aid distribution — were disrupted nationwide.
If approved by the House and signed by President Donald Trump, the legislation would bring a close to the 40-day impasse and restart the flow of federal funds across agencies.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Oral History Project Announces 14th Stop in Portland, Oregon: NABS Continues to Gather Crucial Stories Across Indian Country
Native News Weekly (November 9, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
