After weeks of political gridlock, the United States Senate has approved a vital spending bill aimed at reopening the federal government and ending the country’s longest shutdown in history.
Lawmakers voted 60 to 40 late Monday night, with most Republicans backing the motion alongside eight Democrats who crossed party lines. The bill provides temporary funding to keep government operations running until the end of January.
Attention has now shifted to the House of Representatives, which must also endorse the measure before it can be presented to President Donald Trump for his signature. The president had earlier signalled readiness to approve the deal once it reaches his desk.
The compromise followed intense weekend talks between both parties, during which some Democrats agreed to join their Republican counterparts in pushing for the resumption of workers’ salaries and restoration of key government services.y
Under the arrangement, Republicans who control the Senate with a 53–47 majority secured the minimum 60 votes required to move the bill forward. The Democrats who backed the measure include Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Jackie Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen. Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, who usually votes with Democrats, also supported the deal.
