BREAKING: Senators Vote To Move Republican Plan To Keep Government Open Forward

This was a procedural vote. The final vote is expected this evening, but it will pass based on all indications.

It’s official: The United States Senate has voted to move a Republican plan to keep the federal government open forward. This Republican-backed continuing resolution will see significant cuts to critical federal government programs. While this was a procedural vote, the final vote will pass this evening based on a similar vote. Below I outline everything you need to know about the vote and the contents of the bill.

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Despite significant opposition from Democrats across the House and the Senate, 10 Democratic senators joined 52 Senate Republicans to pass the bill. The only Republican who voted against the bill was Rand Paul from Kentucky.

Here are the Democratic Senators who voted for the bill:

• Chuck Schumer (NY)

• John Fetterman (PA)

• Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)

• Angus King (ME)

• Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)

• Dick Durbin (IL)

• Brian Schatz (HI)

• Maggie Hassan (NH)

• Gary Peters (MI)

• Jeanne Shaheen (NH)

Here is a list of government cuts in the bill:

• $185 million cut from Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation programs

• Provision weakening lawmakers’ power to force a vote on terminating a president’s ability to impose tariffs (helps Republicans avoid a vote on ending Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico)

• $1.4 billion cut from Army Corps of Engineers’ construction funding (used for hurricane and flood mitigation projects)

• $30 million cut from rural broadband Community Connect program

• Nearly $800 million cut from Veterans Affairs facility construction

• Up to $40 million eliminated from election security grant funding

• $30 million cut from assistance to farmers for land improvement and conservation activities

• No additional funds for FEMA’s disaster relief fund (which will need more money before the fiscal year ends)

• District of Columbia’s spending frozen at FY 2024 levels for the rest of the year

• Washington, DC officials warn of $1.1 billion in budget cuts, affecting:

  • Public safety

  • Education

  • Economic growth priorities

Here is a list of programs that have increased funding in the bill:

• $485 million increase for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to boost deportations

• $13 billion decrease in nondefense spending (Republicans label this as savings, stemming from the removal of earmarks and one-time initiatives from FY 2024)

• Full funding for veterans’ health care services and benefits

• Increased investments in defense

• Support for federal wildland firefighters, including:

  • Pay raises

  • Premium pay for those responding to fires

• $753 million increase for air traffic control systems above the prior year’s level

• $500+ million increase for WIC program (raising total funding to $7.6 billion)

• Increased funding for:

  • Commodity Supplemental Food Program (supports low-income senior citizens)

  • Food Safety and Inspection Service (reviews meat and poultry processing plants)

The bill will eventually head to the desk of Donald Trump. He is expected to sign it in short order to keep the government open.

— Aaron