Bill to end government shutdown passes the Senate, heads to House next for final vote

The U.S. Senate on Monday drew closer to ending the U.S. government shutdown after a small group of Senate Democrats and an independent senator broke a 40-day stalemate late Sunday evening and voted with Republicans to move forward with reopening the government, in a move that has angered many in their caucus.

The legislative package that appears on track to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history leaves out any clear resolution on the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits that have made private health insurance less costly for millions of Americans.

It is unclear when the Senate will hold final votes on the legislation, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he hopes passage would be swift. Still, an end could be days away if any senators object.

Meanwhile, the shutdown has caused thousands of flight cancellations and delays as air traffic controllers — unpaid for nearly a month — have stopped showing up, citing the added stress and need to take second jobs.

President Donald Trump’s administration returned to the Supreme Court on Monday seeking to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen while the government is shut down, even as some U.S. families struggle to put food on the table without that federal assistance.

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Senate approves bill to end the government shutdown, sending it to the House

The longest shutdown in U.S. history is closer to an end after a small group of Senate Democrats struck a deal with Republicans on Monday.

The shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation.

Trump has signaled support for the bill, saying Monday that “we’re going to be opening up our country very quickly.”

The final 60-40 Senate vote broke a grueling stalemate that lasted more than six weeks as Democrats demanded that Republicans negotiate with them to extend health care tax credits. The Republicans never did.