The U.S. Senate has approved a critical funding bill that could bring the longest government shutdown in American history to an end within days.
The legislation passed in a 60–40 vote late Monday, with nearly all Republicans joined by eight Democrats who broke ranks with their party. The measure funds the government through the end of January.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where passage is required before President Donald Trump can sign it into law. Earlier on Monday, Trump indicated his willingness to approve the legislation.
The agreement followed weekend negotiations in which a group of Democrats collaborated with Republicans to ensure federal employees return to work and essential services are restored.
With a 53–47 Republican majority in the Senate, the measure required 60 votes to clear the threshold. Democrats who supported the bill included Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Jackie Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen, along with independent Senator Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats. Only one Republican, Rand Paul of Kentucky, voted against it alongside the Democratic minority.
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican who played a key role in crafting the bill, celebrated the outcome, saying: “We are going to reopen government. We are going to ensure that federal employees will now receive the compensation they have earned and deserve.”
Since October 1, roughly 1.4 million federal workers have been either furloughed or working without pay. The shutdown has disrupted a wide array of government services, including U.S. air travel and food assistance for 41 million low-income Americans.
The shutdown’s impact on air travel was particularly severe on Monday, with over 2,400 flights canceled and at least 9,000 delayed, according to airline tracker FlightAware.
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