Senate Advances Bill to End 40-Day U.S. Government Shutdown

The United States Senate has cleared an initial hurdle toward ending the 40-day federal government shutdown by voting 60-40 late Sunday in favour of advancing a funding measure that would keep most agencies operating until at least the end of January.

The measure, negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, would fully fund three agencies, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch, through fiscal year 2026, and maintain funding for all others at 2025 levels via a continuing resolution that expires January 30.

The text includes provisions to reverse the more than 4,000 layoffs initiated during the shutdown, and guarantee back-pay for federal employees furloughed during the funding lapse.

The shutdown began October 1 after Congress failed to enact appropriations or a continuing resolution before the fiscal year deadline. It is now the longest in U.S. history.

Under the deal, the House of Representatives must approve the measure and the Donald Trump administration must sign it before the government can fully reopen. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has characterised the move as starting a “multi-step process” to finish the funding work.

Several Democratic senators opposed the measure, citing its failure to immediately extend premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, a core demand that contributed to the funding impasse.

Earlier in the shutdown Senate Republicans dismissed a Democratic proposal to reopen the government with an immediate one-year extension of those health-care subsidies, calling it a “non-starter.”

Federal agencies reported thousands of flight cancellations and delays as staffing shortfalls deepened during the funding gap. Around 42 million Americans relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program were also at risk of losing benefits.