Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., says the Senate has made significant progress toward reopening the federal government and securing funding for key programs, including food assistance and veterans’ care.

Speaking on the Senate floor today, Barrasso said the chamber advanced a bipartisan continuing resolution that would keep the government open through January. The measure is paired with three full-year appropriations bills that he said have already passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support.

“These are fully funded bills that cover veterans’ care and food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC,” Barrasso said. “Tomorrow is Veterans Day, and our veterans need to know we stand behind them.”

Barrasso described the ongoing shutdown as “painful” for families nationwide, citing missed SNAP payments for millions of Americans and flight disruptions caused by unpaid air traffic controllers and TSA agents. He said more than 2,000 flights were canceled Thursday amid staffing shortages.

“This shutdown has hurt our economy, and it has hurt our country,” he said. “Reopening the government is the right result — it gives Americans the certainty they need heading into the holidays.”

Barrasso credited former President Donald Trump for holding firm during funding negotiations, arguing that the White House prevented what he called “billions in subsidies” for insurance companies. He also criticized Democrats for delaying appropriations bills last year, saying it hindered the Senate’s ability to govern effectively.

Democrats pushed back on Barrasso’s remarks, accusing Republicans of creating the conditions for the shutdown and prolonging it with partisan demands. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the continuing resolution should never have been necessary.

“For weeks, Democrats have called on Republicans to keep the government open and protect critical services for working families,” Schumer said in a statement. “Instead of focusing on bipartisanship from the start, they chose brinkmanship. It’s only now, after immense public pressure, that they’re agreeing to fund the programs Americans rely on.”

Democrats also defended the Affordable Care Act, which Barrasso criticized during his speech, saying it expanded coverage for millions and reduced the uninsured rate to historic lows.

“Republicans have spent years trying to tear down healthcare protections for people with preexisting conditions,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “If they’re serious about affordability, they should work with us to strengthen the law, not dismantle it.”