The US Senate has taken the first step towards ending a government shutdown on Sunday, November 9, after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to go ahead without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies. The government funding bill passed the Senate after nearly two hours of voting.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it “remains to be seen” when the Senate votes on final passage on a measure to reopen the government. He said he hopes it passes early this week, according to CNN.
The shutdown started on October 1 when the Senate failed to agree on spending priorities. Democrats, since then, have voted as many as 14 times not to reopen the government. They demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans that are offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
When will the Affordable Care Act vote take place and what does the new funding bill mean?
The bill passed by 60-40 votes after a group of moderate Democrats voted in favor of the Republican backed government funding bill. The decision came after a critical group of eight Senate Democratic centrists reached a deal with Senate GOP leaders and the White House to reopen the government in exchange for a future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care subsidies.
Read More | Senate vote today: First details on shutdown deal out; Republicans, Democrats hopeful of breakthrough
The exact date for the future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care subsidies has not been revealed. In fact, there is more to come before the government can open again as any Senator can delay consideration of the package for several days. The House will also have to return and adopt the deal struck in the Senate before it can be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The bill is a so-called continuing resolution (CR) to keep government funded even at pre-shutdown levels. Senator Tim Kaine explained that the bill “will protect federal workers from baseless firings, reinstate those who have been wrongfully terminated during the shutdown, and ensure federal workers receive back pay” as required by law, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Read More | Government shutdown over? Inside Senate’s deal to extend funding. What’s next?
The bill still needs to be passed from the House of Representatives and signed by Trump.
The three-bill framework, known among senators as a minibus package, includes funding for the legislative branch, the Agriculture Department, and the bill for veterans’ programs and military facilities. These bills are going to be attached to a larger bill to temporarily fund the entire government until January 30. This could be voted on as early as this week.
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