The United States Senate has approved a key funding bill that could end what has become the longest government shutdown in the country’s history.
The legislation passed late Monday night in a 60–40 vote, with nearly all Republican senators joining eight Democrats who broke ranks with their party to support the measure. The bill provides temporary funding for the federal government through the end of January, allowing agencies to resume full operations and federal workers to return to their duties.
The measure now moves to the House of Representatives for approval before it can be signed into law by President Donald Trump, who earlier on Monday indicated his readiness to endorse the deal.
The breakthrough followed intense weekend negotiations between a small group of Democrats and Republican leaders determined to end the budget impasse that has disrupted public services and left hundreds of thousands of federal employees unpaid.
Republicans, who hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate, needed at least 60 votes for the bill to pass. Democratic Senators Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Jackie Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen voted in favour, alongside Maine Independent Angus King, who caucuses with the Democrats.
Only one Republican senator — Rand Paul of Kentucky — sided with most Democrats in voting against the bill.
When the final tally was announced, the few senators who had stayed in the chamber broke into applause, marking a rare moment of bipartisan relief after weeks of political deadlock.
If passed by the House and signed by President Trump, the bill will restore government operations and end a shutdown that has strained federal agencies, stalled key public programmes, and rattled confidence in Washington’s ability to govern effectively.
