On the 38th day, the logjam began to break.
After Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to reopen the government, a small group of moderate Democrats met with Majority Leader John Thune on Friday, forging a path toward resolving the record-long shutdown, multiple sources familiar with the negotiations told CNN.
By Sunday evening, the cross-aisle talks opened between Thune and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Angus King and Tim Kaine had yielded a deal that eight Democrats broke ranks to advance. By Monday evening, the Senate had voted 60-40 to pass the measure, which now heads to the House before President Donald Trump – who’s signaled support — can sign anything.
The government could now be reopened by the end of the week. What comes next is far less certain, with questions looming about the fallout for both parties as Democrats face internal recriminations and Republicans are forced to grapple with the political liabilities of rising health care premiums.
The White House has sought to limit its public comments on the deal, wary of disrupting a tentative agreement that still faces a tricky path through the House. But internally, the sudden end to the impasse prompted a sense of vindication that the outcome that officials had predicted for weeks
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