DAY 41: The end is near – but will hemp hold up the government?
- Agora
- Nov 10
- 4 min read
AGORA SHUTDOWN UPDATE
November 10, 2025
After 40 days, the dam finally broke. Eight Democratic Senators joined with nearly all Republicans late last night to move forward on a bill to re-open the government. The plan would extend stop-gap funding until the end of January, guarantee back pay for furloughed federal employees, roll back layoffs the Trump Administration imposed during the shutdown, and promise a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies in December.
The bill still needs to pass the Senate and then go to the House, which has been on an extended hiatus since mid-September. That means that the government could be re-opened by the end of the week – but pitfalls remain, including from GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who’s unhappy about a provision regarding hemp (yes, hemp).
The outcome of last night’s vote also means more Democratic angst, as the deal does not guarantee that the health subsidies will be extended (and the House has not even agreed to holding a vote). The base is pissed off, with at least one House Dem calling on Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to step down (even though he voted against the plan, as did 38 of his 46 colleagues). But with polls showing broad support for extending the subsidies and growing worries about the cost of living, there’s a decent chance that Democrats will see the subsidies live on.
In the meantime, the Senate breakthrough could make the withholding of food stamps and increasing flight cancellations a thing of the past. Hopefully there will be more to be thankful for in a couple of weeks.
CONGRESS
The Senate on Sunday took a first step toward ending the longest-ever government shutdown, clearing a procedural hurdle to approve a package that would keep agencies funded through at least January and walk back thousands of federal employee layoffs.
What’s in and out of the bipartisan deal drew sharp criticism and leaves few senators fully satisfied.
Eight senators in the Democratic caucus broke with the party late Sunday to vote with Republicans and advance legislation to end the government shutdown.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is calling on Senate Democrats to replace Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as leader after eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted late Sunday to begin the process of reopening the federal government.
The Senate voted to start advancing legislation to end the 40-day government shutdown, but there are obstacles that could drag the process out for many more days. One of them is Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has been warning GOP leaders that he will obstruct passage of any bill that takes aim at the hemp industry in his state.
WHITE HOUSE
The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown, even though residents in some states already have received the funds.
A federal appeals court in Boston, for a second time, late Sunday flatly rejected a request by the Trump administration to block a lower court judge’s order that it pay 42 million Americans their full SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. But the judge’s order remains paused as a result of a prior Supreme Court ruling until at least Tuesday night.
The Trump administration told states that they must “immediately undo” any actions to provide full food stamp benefits to low-income families, in a move that added to the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the nation’s largest anti-hunger program during the government shutdown.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
More than 7,200 flights have been delayed and 2,200 canceled so far Sunday after reductions went into effect Friday at 40 high-traffic airports, in what officials say is an attempt to relieve pressure amid the record-long government shutdown.
The Social Security Administration is considering whether to put more of its in-person services on hold, as employees working without pay during the longest government shutdown can no longer afford the cost of coming into the office.
THE IMPACT
The Federal Aviation Administration’s announcement of a 10% reduction in flight capacity across 40 major U.S. airports could put a strain on air cargo as the peak holiday season approaches.
What does a shutdown mean for government contractors, employees, grantees and the general public? Click here for more information.
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