U.S. Senate approves temporary budget bill to end shutdown

On Nov. 10, local time, the U.S. Senate approved a temporary spending bill for fiscal year 2026, which runs from October through next September, aimed at ending the federal government shutdown. The vote came on the forty-first day of the longest shutdown in U.S. history. With only a House vote and U.S. President Donald Trump’s signature remaining, the shutdown could end as early as Nov. 12, or Nov. 13 in Korea. Republicans hold a majority in the House, so the bill is expected to pass without major opposition. Before the Senate vote, President Trump said the government would reopen very quickly.

The Senate passed the Republican-led stopgap bill with 60 votes in favor and 40 against. Among the 53 Republicans, 52 supported the measure, and eight Democrats, including one Democrat-leaning independent, broke with the party to vote yes. The two parties had been sharply divided over whether to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Republican leaders promised a Senate vote on the subsidy extension by the middle of next month, prompting several centrist Democrats to change their position.

Once the shutdown ends, federal agencies will resume operations, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, for low-income households will operate normally. The “Lee Kun-hee Collection” exhibition, originally scheduled to open Nov. 8 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington but postponed, is now expected to open following a preparation period.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com