U.S. Senate passes bill to end government shutdown

The U.S. Senate on Monday approved a deal to end the longest government shutdown, resolving a weeks-long impasse that disrupted food aid, halted pay for federal workers, and affected air travel.

The 60–40 vote passed with backing from nearly all Republicans and eight Democrats, who failed in their effort to link government funding to soon-expiring health subsidies.

While the agreement sets up a December vote on those subsidies, which benefit 24 million Americans, it does not guarantee they will continue.

The deal would restore funding for federal agencies that lawmakers allowed to expire on 1 October and would stall President Donald Trump's campaign to downsize the federal workforce, preventing any layoffs until 30 January.

It next heads to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law.

Trump has called the deal to reopen the government "very good." 

The deal would extend funding through 30 January, leaving the federal government for now on a path to keep adding about $1.8 trillion a year to its $38 trillion in debt.

"We wish we could do more," said Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat.

"The government shutting down seemed to be an opportunity to lead us to better policy. It didn't work." 

The deal does not appear to include any specific guardrails to prevent Trump from enacting further spending cuts. 

However, the deal would fund the SNAP food-subsidy program through to 30 September next year, heading off any possible disruptions if Congress were to shut down the government again during that time.

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