WASHINGTON — The Senate is on the brink of finalizing a crucial funding bill aimed at resolving the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. On Sunday night, eight Democratic senators joined Republicans in advancing the deal to ensure government funding.

However, in the absence of unanimous consent from all 100 senators, the process might stretch across the week as procedural votes are conducted before the bill can be sent to the House. Thune is still addressing concerns within the Republican ranks regarding specific provisions in the proposed spending bills.

Once the Senate clears the bill, it heads to the House, where Republicans hold control. The bill is expected to face fewer obstacles there, as the filibuster, which Democrats had previously used to delay Senate proceedings, no longer exists in the House.

Once the Senate passes the bill, it will go to the House, which is also controlled by Republicans. The bill should have an easier time in that chamber, because the filibuster — the mechanic Democrats used to hold up the Senate — has been abolished there. 

If the House approves the Senate bill without any changes, it would then move to the president’s desk. 

President Donald Trump has already signaled approval of the budget deal, indicating there won’t be any last-minute veto from the White House. 

If all goes according to plan, it’s likely the government could be funded again by the end of the week. 

Eight Democrats sided with Republicans to advance the bill, ending a weeks-long standoff over healthcare subsidiaries. 

Democrats have been demanding that Republicans continue tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, to reopen the government. 

Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said Monday he and the other seven Democrats supporting the funding bill were reaching across the aisle after promises from Thune to hold a vote on the health insurance tax credits next month. 

According to CBS News, Durbin was assured by Thune that he would honor the agreement. 

“I went to him yesterday and said, ‘Eight of us are sticking our necks out that you’re going to keep your word. I hope you will,’” Dubin told CBS. 

Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as SNAP benefits, has been a key factor in the negotiations over the shutdown. One in eight people in the U.S. uses them to pay for food every month. 

When the government shut down at the beginning of October, SNAP benefits were paid out to millions of recipients using remaining money from the program’s coffers. But when November came around, the White House vehemently resisted efforts to use supplemental funds to pay for them. 

In a series of court cases that has made its way to the Supreme Court, the administration fought to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from handing out SNAP funding during the shutdown. As of Monday, the Supreme Court has put on hold attempts to pay out the full funding while the White House appeals. 

If the government is funded before the end of November, regardless of whether SNAP benefits are paid out in any capacity in November, they are expected to resume for December, just in time for the holidays. 

The version of the funding bill agreed to by Democrats would fund the government through January 2026. 

Like in previous budget fights in Washington, the bill is a temporary stopgap, funding the government only through January 2026. Congress will need to negotiate another spending bill before that deadline or risk another government shutdown. 

That negotiation could become even more complicated in 2026, which is a midterm election year. Republicans are still on the defensive after decisive victories by Democrats during the off-cycle 2025 election indicated the upcoming election could be a referendum on the GOP, which controls all levers of government. 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.