US Senate approves bill to end govt shutdown, sending it to House

The Senate passed the bill by a 60-40 vote, ending a long six-week deadlock. US President Donald Trump supported the deal

The US Senate passed legislation on Monday (local time) to end the government shutdown, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end, the Associated Press reported.

 

According to the White House, the government shutdown is now in its 40th day. It may last a few more days as House members return from recess to vote on the bill. US President Donald Trump supported the deal, saying the country would "reopen soon".

Small group of Democrats agree to the deal

According to the report, the Senate passed the bill by a 60-40 vote, ending a long six-week deadlock. Republicans needed at least five Democratic votes to cross the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. A small group of Democrats agreed to a deal with Republicans, even though many in their own party strongly opposed it, the report said. 

 

 

Commenting on the move, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the vote marked "a path forward to get America working again. I am optimistic that after almost six weeks of this shutdown, we'll finally be able to end it".

What’s in the deal?

The deal was worked out by Senators Angus King, Jeanne Shaheen, and Maggie Hassan, along with Thune and the White House. It includes a funding package for key departments like Agriculture until next fall and a temporary extension to fund the rest of the government until January 30.

 

It also ensures full funding for the food aid programme (SNAP) through September 2026 and cancels layoff notices for government workers. Democrats agreed to delay the vote on renewing health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act until December instead of doing it now.

What's next?

The deal will now go to the House for approval, and then it will need President Trump’s signature. Once that happens, the US government can fully reopen after more than 40 days of shutdown that disrupted food aid, air travel, and other public services.

What caused the dispute?

At the core of the impasse was $1.7 trillion in discretionary spending, which is the money that keeps key federal agencies operating. The remaining $7 trillion budget is largely tied to mandatory spending such as healthcare, pensions, and interest on the $37.5 trillion national debt.

 

Democrats were pushing for a short-term funding extension that would also secure healthcare tax breaks for 24 million Americans. Republicans, however, favoured a longer extension until November but wanted healthcare provisions to be debated separately.