Washington: The US Senate has passed a bipartisan bill to end the 40-day federal government shutdown, sending it to the House for final approval.
The legislation ensures funding for most federal agencies through January and guarantees back pay for affected government employees.
The compromise was brokered by Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, alongside Republican Majority Leader John Thune and White House officials, marking a major step toward reopening the government.
At least eight Senate Democrats broke with their party to back the legislation, which passed with 60 votes over opposition from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who cited ongoing healthcare challenges, including Affordable Care Act subsidies.
The proposal aims to undo US President Donald Trump’s firings of government employees during the closure. It also assures food stamp funding until fiscal year 2026, providing stability for low-income people that rely on government help.
Senate Republican leaders have pledged to having a vote on legislation addressing the expiration of enhanced healthcare subsidies by the second week of December. House and Senate Republican leaders are likely to talk with Democrats on that issue once the government reopens.
The shutdown hampered federal activities nationally, including air travel. Several major US airlines have reduced travel schedules, with thousands of cancellations reported on Sunday (local time).
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a 4% reduction in flights, aggravated by staffing shortages in air traffic control, creating fears among passengers ahead of the Thanksgiving break.
The proposal must now be approved by the House of Representatives before it can go into force.
The government shutdown, which is now the longest in US history, impacted a variety of other programmes, including national parks and federal research operations.
Negotiators expressed confidence that speedy House action will allow government services to restart promptly and provide certainty to federal employees and the general public, bringing an end to weeks of halted activity.
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Caption: U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the United States (Photo source: Xinhua/IANS)
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