BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The end of the record-setting federal shutdown is in sight after U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and seven members of the Senate Democratic caucus joined every Republican on a procedural vote Sunday night that could lead to the government reopening.
National media outlets report the eight have negotiated a deal with the Trump administration and Senate Republicans in which federal employees who were laid off during the shutdown would be rehired.
The Trump administration laid off 4,108 employees in the first two weeks of the 40-day standoff, though a federal judge found last month the terminations likely violated union contracts.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-North Carolina, has also agreed to allow a vote on extending tax breaks on Affordable Care Act premiums, which are set to expire in the new year. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, hasn't made a similar promise to allow a vote on the extension in the lower chamber, outlets report.
After 40 days as a consistent voice against shutting our government down, I voted YES for the 15th time to REOPEN.
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) November 10, 2025
I’m sorry to our military, SNAP recipients, gov workers, and Capitol Police who haven’t been paid in weeks.
It should’ve never come to this.
This was a failure.
Congressional Democrats had been withholding their support on a continuing resolution, saying the ACA tax extensions needed to be baked into any deal to reopen the government.
The five Democrats who have launched campaigns for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District in 2026 all expressed support for the shutdown unless the tax extensions were secured.
One of them, Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association President Bob Brooks, took to social media Monday morning to pan the deal.
More from the Washington crew that can’t get a damn thing done for working people. They shut down the government, hurt people, caved, and accomplished nothing.
— Bob Brooks (@VoteBobBrooks) November 10, 2025
This is a bad deal that does nothing to make health care more affordable. https://t.co/mg9xhWZbvB
Opponents of the agreement could still prolong the shutdown for days — even if the 60 supporters stick together. The Senate still needs to hold procedural votes where Democrats and fiscal hawks could drag out the process.
The Republican-controlled House would then need to pass the new version of the resolution.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, has tried to thread the needle of keeping the government open, supporting Republican leadership and extending the ACA tax breaks. He's called Democrats irresponsible for withholding their votes to open the government while lobbying Johnson to "chart a conservative path that protects working families" by extending the cuts.
While Mackenzie, President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have been blaming Democrats on the historic shutdown, they've made exceptions for Fetterman, D-Pa. He has been the only Democrat to consistently vote to reopen the government during the stalemate. He's been joined by Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.
The deal materialized Sunday evening, leading to abrupt changes in schedules. U.S. Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., had been scheduled to tape WFMZ's "Business Matters" program Monday afternoon. Producers of the program notified guests and media Sunday that the taping was cancelled so McCormick could stay in Washington to vote on the legislation.
America’s working families deserve better than government shutdowns. I have stood firm at every opportunity to keep our government open and serving the people. Tonight, enough Senators put country over politics and did what’s right for America. This is an important step toward…
— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) November 10, 2025
The strains of the shutdown had started to appear in full view over the past few weeks.
Since Oct. 1, approximately 700,000 non-essential government workers have been furloughed while another 700,000 or so have been required to work without pay. In the last week, the FAA has cancelled thousands of domestic flights as more and more air traffic controllers don't report to work after missing their paychecks. Flight delays are expected to linger even if the government reopens.
In addition, regular funding for SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, ran dry Nov. 1.
When a federal judge ordered the administration to restore payments to states with reserve funding, the administration made conflicting statements before threatening repercussions to states that made full payments to beneficiaries.
