• Senate Democrats are advancing new legislation to end the 35-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.
  • At least 10 Senate Democrats may support moving these bills forward, signaling potential movement in the protracted stalemate.
  • The impasse centers on deep divisions over healthcare funding, social program spending, and security allocations.

Efforts to break the government funding deadlock are gaining momentum as Senate Democrats prepare to advance new bills aimed at ending the shutdown, now in its 35th day. According to people familiar with the matter, at least 10 Senate Democrats may support moving these measures forward, representing the most significant movement in weeks.

The shutdown, which began October 1, 2025, has paralyzed significant government functions after both Republican and Democratic budget proposals were defeated in the Senate. The Democratic legislation under consideration would expand healthcare premium credits with provisions projected to increase the insured population by 3.8 million, though Congressional Budget Office estimates indicate it could raise the deficit by $350 billion by 2035.

"We're seeing mounting pressure from all sides to resolve this," said one Senate aide who requested anonymity to discuss private negotiations. "The economic damage is becoming too significant to ignore."

Each week of government closure is estimated to drain about $15 billion from GDP and cost tens of thousands of jobs. The economic impact has been widespread, with active-duty military and Coast Guard personnel working without pay, while air traffic controllers and TSA agents face continued uncertainty about their next paycheck.

The Republican proposal that was previously defeated would have maintained 2025 spending levels and provided extensions for certain health and veterans' services. A major point of contention remains provisions in the Democratic bill that would expand entitlements for non-citizens, which has drawn sharp criticism from the White House and conservative groups.

Democratic leadership offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the specific timing of when the new bills might be introduced. However, multiple sources confirmed that draft legislation is being circulated among key senators.

The standoff reflects deepening partisan conflict over federal spending priorities, with this shutdown having already surpassed the previous record set during the 2018-2019 impasse. While the Democratic movement suggests growing urgency to find a resolution, significant hurdles remain given the fundamental disagreements over healthcare policy and entitlement spending.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the projected deficit increase timeline. The CBO estimates the Democratic healthcare provisions would raise the deficit by $350 billion by 2035, not 2034.