how many votes are needed to keep the government open

To keep the U.S. government open, the Senate needs to pass a funding bill with at least 60 votes. This threshold is required to overcome a filibuster and move forward with the legislation. Given that the Senate currently requires bipartisan support, some Democrats would need to join Republicans to reach this 60-vote threshold. Without reaching 60 votes, the government cannot be funded, leading to a shutdown as recently occurred in early October 2025.