A first step to end the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history was taken on Sunday after some Senate Democrats voted to proceed toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government, according to an Associated Press report.
The move comes without a guarantee of Affordable Care Act health care subsidies, the main reason Democrats would not reopen the government. A later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, which expire on Jan. 1, is set to happen in mid-December.
Former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — broke with Democrats to support the vote, resulting in a 60-40 majority for Republicans.
With the vote, three bipartisan annual spending bills and an extension to government spending until late January move forward. The agreement will ensure that the mass firings of federal workers during the shutdown will be reversed, and these workers will receive back pay.
Some of the major issues stemming from the shutdown include the loss of SNAP to those with food insecurity, delays in flights across the country and numerous federal research projects put on hold or completely derailed.
