The Senate cleared a key hurdle. Here’s what has to happen next to reopen the government

By Annie Grayer, Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — The Senate cleared a major hurdle toward reopening the government Sunday night, when eight Democrats joined with Republicans on a key vote to advance a federal funding measure.

There are still a number of steps ahead to end the historic shutdown – with lots of uncertainty on timing. But party leaders believe lawmakers will, indeed, end the stalemate this week.

Here’s what still needs to happen on Capitol Hill to reopen the federal government.

Senate timing agreement and vote

Now, senators need to agree on how long to debate before voting on the final bill. This could move quickly, or be held up by senators who want to drag out the process.

For example, Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who voted against advancing the measure, wants a vote on an amendment related to hemp grown in his state. It’s unclear if that will happen.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it “remains to be seen” when the Senate will be able to vote on final passage of the bill, though he hopes it passes early this week.

The final package would fund the government until January 30 and some key agencies through the remainder of fiscal year 2026. So that means if the government were to shut down again over the next few months, key federal food assistance known as SNAP would continue to be funded.

Once it passes the Senate, the package heads to the House, which will present its own host of complications.

Then it’s the House’s turn

Members of the House were advised to expect votes this week.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has to sell this package to his razor-thin majority, and he’ll likely need the president’s help to muscle it through his fractious conference.

Praising the Senate for reaching a deal to reopen the government and warning his members to make their way back to Washington, Johnson said Monday: “I’m stating the obvious all my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats in the House, you need to begin right now, returning to the Hill. We have to do this as quickly as possible.”

Johnson said he will give 36-hour notice to House members for a vote as soon as the Senate has final passage of the CR in the Senate.

“At least some Democrats,” he said, “now finally appear ready to do what Republicans and President Trump and millions of hard-working American people have been asking them to do for weeks.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, has vowed to fight the package because it does not go as far as he wanted on Democrats’ health care demands, so it’s not yet clear how many House Democrats will help Johnson approve it.

House Democrats are set to huddle as a caucus on Monday, according to a personal familiar with the discussions.

Though the next few days will be critical, a source familiar with the matter said GOP leaders are optimistic about the funding bill’s chances for passage in the House. And a Democratic source familiar expects some in the party will cross lines to support it, though it remains to be seen how many.

Once passed in the House, the bill will go to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

What’s in the bill?

The full bill includes a larger funding package negotiated between the two parties and a stopgap through January 30.

The broader legislative package would include three full-year appropriations bills that deal with military construction and veterans affairs, the legislative branch and the Department of Agriculture.

That includes $203.5 million in new funding to enhance security measures and protection for members of Congress, in addition to $852 million for US Capitol Police, per a summary of the bill to fund the legislative branch provided by top Democratic appropriator Sen. Patty Murray.

The package does not include a guarantee from Republicans to extend the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that have been at the heart of the funding fight.

As part of the deal struck between Republicans and the Senate Democratic centrists, there’s expected to be a future Senate vote on the subsidies.

Behind the scenes, Senate Democrats who backed the deal to reopen the government said Trump’s increasing opposition in recent days to extending expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies – a key sticking point for the Democratic Party – forced them to change their position and accept a compromise to end an indefinite government shutdown, according to sources familiar with their thinking.

The deal also includes an agreement to reverse all of the federal firings during the shutdown and ensure that all federal workers get paid what they were owed while the shutdown occurred.

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