The US Senate has approved a pivotal agreement designed to conclude the ongoing government shutdown, potentially breaking the historic deadlock. Following a weekend of intense negotiations in Washington, some Democratic senators joined Republicans in voting for the deal. This vote serves as a procedural initial step towards finalizing a compromise to fund the government, which ran out of money on October 1. Although the agreement must overcome several additional obstacles, including a vote from the House of Representatives, before federal employees and services can resume, it marks the first significant progress after a 40-day stalemate.
This shutdown has been the longest recorded in US history, with Republican and Democratic lawmakers seemingly entrenched in a deadlock until this weekend. Numerous government services have been paused since the beginning of October, affecting approximately 1.4 million federal employees, who are either furloughed or working without pay.
The shutdown's impacts are extensive, affecting numerous services such as US air travel and food benefits for 41 million low-income Americans. The agreement was negotiated between Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the White House, along with Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire and Angus King, an independent from Maine who aligns with Democrats. The Republicans, holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, required a 60-vote minimum to advance the measure. They secured eight votes from across the aisle while losing only one Republican, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who voted against the deal, citing concerns over increasing national debt.
The deal includes a commitment to conduct a vote in December on extending healthcare subsidies set to expire this year—a crucial issue that Democrats had been seeking concessions on.